Intermingled
by Wolf of the Western Woods
Summary: An adventure featuring characters from the most popular of the Disney princess movies that happened at around the same time frame. Prominently featured are Rhonwen, daughter of Rapunzel and Eugene, and Emile, son of Belle and Vincent, the former Beast. Romance is a definate possiblility, as well as some extensive crossover work. More graphic than Disney, but no "Adult Situations."
1. Chapter 1

**Hello readers! I'm Wolf, this is my first real story on this site (if you don't count my Batman OneShot). Thanks you for your attention, and enjoy!**

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><p>…And they all lived happily ever after.<p>

Odd it seems that fairy tales end there, and do not show any of the joy shared by the charming prince relieved of his spell and the beautiful princess, his happy wife. But the story of the Beauty and the Beast had only begun where their storybooks ended. Belle and Prince Vincent, now free of his horrible curse, spent two wonderful years together, and were ecstatic when it was discovered that Belle was carrying a child. The birth of that child, however, brought great disquiet back into their household…

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><p>Belle saw her husband look eagerly towards the new baby, giddy and excited as a school child to see if it was the boy he so wanted. She beamed back to him, until she saw his face fall, first to sadness and then the usual rage, when he saw the child. He turned swiftly away from it and pounded a dent into the wall, roaring so loudly in his grief that he almost sounded like his former self. Then he left the room, slamming the door behind him, a bit of the ceiling falling to the floor, shaken loose by the force of his anger. Belle panicked and demanded to see her baby, at which the flustered and upset Mrs. Pots hurried to her side and assured her that the baby was alive and seemed healthy.<p>

"Tis a boy, miss," she said awkwardly, handing over the small bundle to his confused mother.

"Oh," said Belle, who was startled but not afraid what she saw when she looked at her son, "Now I understand."

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><p>Vincent stormed into his rooms and immediately began to throw his furniture into the walls with shattering results, for though the curse was lifted he still carried with him a somewhat severe temper when provoked and many of his old habits from his days as the Beast. He collapsed onto his favorite chair, which had somehow managed to survive his former self and his more rare fits of temper afterwards. Why was this happening when the spell had been broken, when he no longer carried the weight of the Beast's fur on his back? He had learned his lesson and broken his curse, so how could his child have been born with his beastly appearance? He began to pace his room, tracing his steps of many other days and nights of anguish or unease on his worn carpet. He had to think of something, some way in which he could remove the spell from his child so that the poor boy would not have to grow up a monster.<p>

"Perhaps if I find that witch and kill her," he mused aloud to himself, "Perhaps then the effects of the spell would dissolve leaving a healthy and happy child behind them. Yes, that's what I must do. But how? How do I find a woman who can change her appearance at a whim and surely has more than the two disguises which I have seen? There's no chance, not even with all of my best soldiers searching for her, that I could even come close! I've sentenced my son to exile and abuse just as I sentenced myself!"

Vincent again collapsed into his chair and was close to tears with rage, guilt, and sorrow when an idea struck him. He could use the mirror!

"Ha!" he exclaimed, jumping up and racing for the table where he kept the stem of the magic rose and his magic mirror, "That witch should not have been so conceited! Mirror," he said, addressing the mirror now in his hand, "Show me how to find the witch!"

In response to his demand the mirror did not show him an image of a map or of some faraway castle where the witch abided, as he had hoped, but instead revealed the face of the witch herself, a soft smile hovering at her lips.

"Did you really expect me to be such a fool Beast?" she asked sweetly, "I do prefer the term enchantress over witch you know. The word witch implies a haggard old woman bent over a cauldron, which is only the form I take if I am so inclined and not my real appearance."

Vincent did not bother to correct her mistake in calling him Beast, for he had much more important things to say to the woman, but inwardly he lashed out at her, screaming that he _had_ a name and that the name of Beast no longer suited him. He doubted that she would ever see him as anything accept the Beast she had made him into.

"But a witch is what you are," Vincent replied through bared teeth, hardly able to contain his temper, "What else would you call a woman who uses magic to torment impertinent children and sentences men to live their lives hidden in the shadows? But I am no longer the Beast. I have learned the lesson that you _so _desired to teach me and the spell was broken. Is it not enough that I suffered for my sins for ten years before my curse was lifted? Why do you punish my son, who is innocent?"

"Consider it a family trait Beast," the witch replied, her smile growing slightly, "Who is to say that he will not grow to be as terribly mannered as yourself?"

"I say it!" Vincent replied, no longer able to keep his voice down, "I was an orphan, with no mother or father to teach me my place and only servants in their station, whom I could freely order. My son will be a better man than I am, because I will be there to show him how!"

"Show him how to, say, lose his temper?" the witch replied, her smile softening again with lack of interest.

"Why do you punish an innocent child for the sins of his father?" Vincent cried out in anguish, "Release him of the curse, for he has done you no wrong!"

"I am truly sorry, Beast," the witch replied in a tone that stated she truly was not, "I am afraid all of my curses are irrevocable, unless the original conditions I set down are met. Your son will just have to do as you have done and find a woman who can love him as he is. Oh, I almost forgot something!"

At this the witch waved her hand and the stem of the rose, which had been dead and shriveled, suddenly became alive again, floating as it once had, and on its end a small bud appeared.

"That should make everything the same as it was for you in your _confinement_," she said with surprising venom beneath her crooning voice, before it softened to her previous tone, "But in honor of your heartfelt plea on his behalf I will change one condition for your son."

At this Vincent, who had begun to turn away from the mirror because of the old hopelessness stirring newly in his heart, looked up, taking some consolation that his son could still have an easier time in this curse than he had. Then he saw the smile on the witch's face dissolve into a grimace of utter rage, distorting her lovely features in its pure hatred.

"Your son may have until his _twentieth_ birthday to solve his dilemma, lest he remain the Beast for all his days!" she screeched.

Then, before Vincent had a chance to reply to her comment in any way but the shock his face betrayed, the witch vanished from the mirror to leave him looking at his own reflection. Disgusted with the face he saw reflected, he turned the mirror over and laid it on the table gently, for fear of harming the young rose. He then went to the closet on the other side of the room and removed the glass casing which had once protected his own magic rose. He walked over to the table and carefully placed it over the new bud, shielding it from dirt or dust that could make its petals fall prematurely. He would protect this rose better than he had ever protected his own, for now it was his son's life at stake.

He then fell into his chair and was near despair when Mrs. Pots knocked timidly at the door.

"Master?" she said uncertainly, opening the door a crack to peek in, "The Mistress wishes for you to come back to the nursery."

"Why?" Vincent asked morosely.

"She wants you to meet your son, sir," said Mrs. Pots, with just a hint of disapproval in her tone of voice for his temperamental reply.

Vincent sighed.

"Very well then," he replied, and he let Mrs. Pots guided him back to the room.

Belle looked up with a warm motherly smile as Vincent walked back into the room, pulled along by Mrs. Pots. He stared back at her, his face surprised, as if he had been expecting her to be weeping.

"Come here, Vincent," she said gently, "Meet our son."

Vincent came forward slowly, as if he feared that his son would be doubly cursed if he was seen. Or perhaps it was hesitation in the face of his own fears, for he had hated the face that this child now carried more than anything. Vincent finally looked down to the child, the grief already evident on his face.

"Give me your hand," Belle said, firmly but gently enough that he didn't think she was trying to order him around.

Vincent did as she said and she pulled his hand toward the baby, thinking that touch might help him to connect with the child, to be sure that he was really there. He did not pull back and so Bell continued to guide his hand until it touched the baby's chest. The little one woke immediately when he was touched, but did not cry. Instead he cooed and grabbed his father's fingers as though he was already aware of his relation to the person they belonged. Just as Belle had hoped, Vincent did seem to relax a bit when he touched the child, and now he wore a sort of reluctant fatherly smile which she knew had to be a good sign. He began to stroke the baby's hand and seemed delighted when the child put the affectionate finger into his mouth for a more thorough examination.

"What should we call him?" she asked, seeing that it was safe to move on to the subject.

"Well," he began, but was interrupted when little Henri, Lumier's eldest son of only three years old, pushed past Mrs. Pots and demanded to see his new little master.

The King and Queen both smiled and nodded to Mrs. Pots to let him through, but upon seeing the baby Henri proclaimed in surprised delight that the Mistress of the house must have decided to get the puppy he had been asking for rather than a new baby. Some of the maids giggled in the background, and some, like Vincent, took a grave look. Belle just laughed.

"This is no dog, Henri," she scolded lightheartedly, "This is your new prince. We were just about to decide what to name him, so it seems that you're just in time."

"Really?" squealed Henri, "I can help name him?"

"I don't see why not," said Belle, giving Vincent a sharp look to snap him out of his grouchy mood.

"Of course," Vincent said, seeming to understand her meaning, "We need all the good ideas you can think of."

"Could we name him Fido?" asked Henri innocently.

"That is no name for a little boy Henri," Belle said gently, "I was thinking that we would call him Emile."

"But Madame," said Henri, trying his best to copy her gently scolding tone, "That is not a proper name for a puppy."

"Mrs. Pots," Belle said, half laughing, "I think it's time that this young hoodlum be returned to his mother."

Mrs. Pots agreed with a matriarchal smile and began to lead Henri out of the nursery and to the library, where his mother was most likely dusting. Belle looked back to Vincent, smiling and hoping that his face would not be too severe. And his expression was not an angry one, but one of sadness. He quickly smiled back to her, not wanting to worry her.

"Emile?" he said, changing the subject.

"Emile it is," she replied, smiling down at her baby.

But for all her attempts to hide it, fear and worry for her child were ever present in Belle, especially when they discovered that any child born after Emile withing the boundaries of the castle transformed into a utensil or knick-knack just as the servants had when the curse was first laid upon the castle. The first was Cogsworths's son, born when Emile was three. The child took the form of one of the thousands of strange inventions which Belle's father had provided the castle with, an alarm clock. There were several other children born to the gardeners who transformed into shears, rakes, and a shrub. And then there was Lucy, Lumier's little daughter. She turned into a candle and soon grew to be Emile's greatest fan, one might say, and had taken to following him around the castle. Belle hoped and prayed that there would be an answer, that he could somehow overcome the curse which had distanced him from those who so dearly loved him.

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><p>Once upon a time…<p>

All of the good stories seemed to start that way, and then they went into tales of unlikely romance and impossible loves. Rhonwen's parents had one of those stories behind them, and even though they had been married for over twenty years she could still see they glitter of new love behind their eyes when they looked at one another. Yes, they could still recall their first meetings with great clarity, how the queen, then just steadfast Rapunzel, had confronted the king, then the infamous thief Flynn Rider, with the tail end of a skillet on first sight of him. Then, of course, they had gone on a great adventure in which false names were shed and everything changed so much for both of them that they soon found themselves King Eugene and Queen Rapunzel, rulers of the entire kingdom.

Currently they found themselves in a huge, richly decorated, and luxuriously supplied royal carriage with their daughter, on the way to the kingdom to the southeast of her's for another of those boring annual Conference of Kingdoms meetings (whoever named it that needed to be taught a lesson in grammar with a scourge!). It was the first time in her lifetime that any of the other kingdoms were invited here, and she had enjoyed seeing the beautiful countryside. Yet when one sits in the same place for too long a time, as Rhonwen had, even blue velvet seat cushions filled with goose down could be uncomfortable. Rhonwen sighed and looked out the window, pressing her fingers against the cool glass. Why could she not be a part of one of those fairy tales herself? She had everything she needed to be part of a fairy tale; she had incredibly long magical glowing hair that could heal any wound or illness, and she had the necessary adventurous spirit, which was aided by her father's teachings in "adventurous behavior." A soft smile played at Rhonwen's lips when she thought of her father teaching her the best ways to sneak into a guarded room or insisting she be taught to use a sword (and a skillet). Her father may have been a king and had no further reason to steal but he was still a ruffian at heart.

Rhonwen idly started to play with the end of her braid and began to think about her hair. Of course her parents and the entire kingdom had been overjoyed when one of the royal twins, Rhonwen, had been born with the same magical hair that her mother had lost in her adventure. And she couldn't complain when she saw the people she helped every other morning when the poor were brought into a special room in the castle and she spread out her hair and sang her song to heal them. So many people had been healed from terrible ailments by her hair and for that she would always rejoice. If only it wasn't so heavy the rest of the time. She had to have a few servant girls help her brush it out and braid it every day, she needed help reaching it all when she bathed, her brother, Rufus, was constantly pulling at it whenever he wanted to irritate her, and worst of all she could never go swimming in the pool in the palace garden because the weight of her hair would pull her down. She had begun to pout slightly when her father pulled her out of her thoughts to start a conversion; none of the people in this carriage liked too much silence.

"So, Rhoni, are you looking forward to seeing some of the young royals?" Eugene asked.

"As long as none of the princes propose to me, I'll be fine," she replied sarcastically.

"Well, I can't blame them," her father remarked, "Such a pretty girl right in front of me and I'd probably propose too."

"Ha Ha, you're _so_ funny," she retorted, "I may already be eighteen but I don't think I'm to the point of accepting marriage offers from men I hardly know. I can't be that desperate."

"Honey, you know most of them are probably good boys," Rapunzel chimed in, "You should give them a chance. You never know, one might be nice."

"That's the problem mother," Rhonwen said despairingly, "I never know. I never really know who these men are, just that they're princes or noblemen and that they want to marry a royal. I'm not saying that I don't like princes, I'm sure that some of them are great guys, but it just seems awkward to agree to marry someone by mail, or meet them for the first time when they propose to you over tea."

Eugene and Rapunzel knew each other better than anyone else knew them when they agreed to be married, so they must have seen the humor in such situations themselves from time to time. Rhonwen continued, sure of her parents' approval.

"I'm not saying that I won't marry a prince, or even that I won't allow a diplomatic marriage, but the guy has to show some interest in knowing me as a person and not just the rank of a princess. And I would prefer it if he did so _before_ he asked me to marry him," she said.

"I agree with you, of course, dear," Rapunzel began when she finished in her short burst of laughter at Rhonwen's last comment, "My only hesitation is that you might wait for too long and not ever find a husband who suits your ideal. Most of the other princesses were betrothed years ago, but few are married. The couples took time to get to know one another. If a prince begins with a proposal, you always have my permission to say no, but try to make it clear that it isn't a complete rejection, just a 'not yet.'"

"Yes mother, I'll be sure to remember that," replied Rhonwen happily, "and if any of them choose to continue then you'll be the first to know."

"While we're on the subject," entered Eugene, "I heard that this King Vincent…"

Here Rapunzel interrupted him before he could continue. He had been having an argument with King Vincent since the day they had met about the way Vincent's name was pronounced and it had gotten to the point of being irritating for Vincent. Rapunzel and Belle both tried their very best to keep their respective husbands from fighting, but whenever they met there was an ongoing battle of wits.

"Eugene," she said admonishingly, "Don't pronounce his name wrong! You _know_ how he reacted last year. It's Vaun-SÁN not VIN-Sent."

"Whatever," Eugene replied tiredly, for they had been through this before, "I hear Vin-SONG has a son, and one is about your age. He hasn't tried to propose yet, maybe you should try him first."

Both Rhonwen and Rapunzel rolled their eyes as he deliberately mispronounced the name _again_, but neither of them bothered to interrupt him. In some things Eugene was just incorrigible.

"Maybe, father, if he's nice," she replied, smirking, "But have you considered that he could already be promised or have a sweetheart?"

"Yeah, I know, just an idea that's all," Eugene said, and then suddenly, "Rhoni, I hope you know how much I appreciate you coming with us. I have to have some entertainment at these sleepy affairs, and I know you technically come to learn diplomacy, but if I was in a room surrounded by haughty royals I wouldn't have the control not to use some 'undiplomatic' language without you there."

Rhonwen laughed as Rapunzel gasped in mock astonishment and slapped her husband gently on the shoulder.

"You call me a stuffy royal?" Rapunzel asked, laughter already dancing in her eyes.

"Yes," he replied without hesitation and they both began to laugh in earnest.

"You'd better watch out," Rapunzel said through her snickering, "I may be forced to bring out my skillet!"

Eugene ducked and covered his head in mock fear, making Rapunzel laugh all the harder. Then the coachman opened his window to announce how close they were and the royals tried to quickly collect themselves in order to present themselves with some dignity.

"The palace is just 'round the corner, highnesses," he said politely.

"Thank you, Gerald," replied Eugene, and the little shuttered window was closed.

The royal family began to clean themselves up, brushing the wrinkles out of their clothing and tweaking Rhonwen's braid so that they could carry the appearance of royalty as soon as they stepped out of the carriage. Eugene was patient and held the extra strands of hair while Rapunzel made the last few adjustments to Rhonwen's hairstyle and then they waited silently for the carriage to stop. It slowed gently to a stop a few minutes later and the large doors on the side of the carriage were opened with great show by their escorts, who had been riding beside them in order to act as guards.

Eugene and Rapunzel stepped out gracefully, Rapunzel's arm gently resting on Eugene's in the classic royal fashion. Rhonwen followed, hands held in front of her in a proper and elegant pose. They were greeted personally by the royal family who were their hosts. The king, a handsome man about the same age as Rhonwen's father, held the queen's arm with the same dignity displayed by her parents and a young servant boy stood behind them, probably to assist with the luggage. When he saw Rhonwen looking at him, he smiled in a way that was courteous and just a tad bit flirtatious. This made Rhonwen inwardly cringe, automatically apprehensive of men her age from the many marriage proposals, but outwardly she smiled in return and tried not to look at him again, for fear of giving him the wrong idea. King Vincent took a step forward with his queen and both gave a small courteous bow in welcome to the visiting dignitaries.

"Welcome to my kingdom," Vincent said in the melodious accent that accompanied his nationality, "I hope that you will enjoy your stay here, and that our negotiations in the international trade will prove fruitful to us both."

Just then some movement in the bushes caught Rhonwen's eye, and she looked over curiously. Just a bush, but she could have sworn she saw fur moving around inside it. Writing it off as a rabbit, she focused her attention back on the royal family in front of her, still slightly uneasy. She could have sworn she was being watched as she was greeted and guided inside.

…to be continued…

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading my friends! This is a really fun journey, I certainly enjoyed it, and I hope you will too!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi, reader peoples! Sorry this took me so long, my life is very busy now and I wanted to make sure it was just right. Be sure to tell me what you think, I hope to have a ton of reviews! Ha! I can barely believe I'm finally posting this! (jumps up and down and squeeks eagerly)**

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><p>Emile sat in the bushes beside the front entrance to the castle and waited for the visiting royals to arrive. He had put a lot of work into finding the perfect spot to hide so that he could watch them all arrive, but so far no one had come and he was beginning to worry that someone would notice that he was here before anyone did. Not to mention, rose bushes aren't exactly the most hospitable plants to hide in. In order to take his mind off of his worry and the irritation of the thorns, Emile began to write in his journal, which he would soon be using to record every detail of the royal parties' arrival.<p>

_I woke up before the sun rose this morning. So did everyone else in the castle, but I woke up before anyone else, so that makes me...what's the right word? I had my fur combed, my clothes on, and my bed made before Cogsworth woke up with his typical guests-arriving-today four-in-the-morning panic attack. So…yeah, I guess "crazy" describes me pretty well, but it was worth it._

_The annual Conference of Kingdoms (and yes, whoever came up with that title needs to be shot) is being held here, in my parent's castle, for the first (and only, if my father has anything to say about it) time in my life. That means the rulers of all the countries our kingdom works with most are going to be here, discussing commerce, law, and ordinance, and every other important thing that's at the forefront of a decent monarch's mind. I've missed it for basically the entirety of my life, because, since I was born with fur, fangs, and horns, my parents figured (correctly so) that dragging me around on a tour of anything outside this castle was a _really bad idea_._

_I managed to weasel the estimated arrival order out of Cogsworth while he had his mind on more important matters (namely the colors of the rugs in the guest suites) but so far nobody has arrived at all. I think that the King, Queen, and Princess of Ringdorn, the Island Kingdom, were supposed to be the first ones here, but heaven only knows how accurate that can be. It is a long journey after all. I just hope that someone will arrive soon and make sitting in a thorny rose bush for three hours worth my while. _

At this Emile placed his pencil again in his pocket, peeked at his watch, and was about to settle down for more waiting when he heard the clatter of an approaching carriage. Eagerly he pulled out his pencil and notebook again, and stared out of the bushes.

_Ah ha! Cogsworth was right, the Ringdorn royal family is the first to arrive. I can recognize their crest, the sun, on the front of the carriage. And on the wheels, and of the draperies, the dressings of the horses, and on the carriage driver's tunic. They do like to announce who they are to the entire world don't they?_

_The royal family is getting out now. I see the king and queen. The queen is the picture of a monarch, but the king looks like your everyday rogue dressed in incredibly expensive clothing. Wait, no, the queen isn't the picture of a monarch; she isn't wearing any shoes! Now I know why my father so insisted that this conference be held in the summer. It must be warmer in Ringdorn than it is here. Here comes the princess. _

At this Emile's pencil paused a moment. The princess was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She carried herself with the grace of a well bred lady and was wearing the prettiest pink dress. Her extremely long, braided blond hair flowed down her back, almost reaching her feet, and her large green eyes blinked prettily in the sunlight. Emile probably would have continued to stare if it hadn't been for the particularly sharp thorn that found his posterior when he relaxed his crouch a little too much. He winced and moved a little in surprise, but immediately froze. She was looking in his direction; she must have seen him move. He remained perfectly still, not even breathing, until she returned her gaze to his father and mother. He relaxed slightly and continued his writing.

_The princess is the image of her mother, minus a few years, blond, and with a little hair added. Correction, with a lot of hair added. Still no shoes to speak of though. I wonder if it's a tradition in their country for the women not to wear shoes? I guess I'll have to investigate that. I'm surprised she can even walk, all that hair must be incredibly uncomfortable. Then again, who am I to talk? _

_It looks like my father is saying something._

"…will prove fruitful to us both." Vincent said in the customary cordial greeting.

"VIN-sent!" the King of Ringdorn, Eugene, cried out, "So good to see you again! Lovely kingdom you have here! And this castle! In my days as a thief this would have been a great target!"

_Father is smiling in a very predatory manner at King Eugene. Sometimes I think he wishes that he still had fangs._

"EEW-gzen!" King Vincent replied, his smile growing a little bit more predatory, if at all possible, "It is such a pleasure, as always."

At this both his mother and the Ringdorn Queen, Rapunzel, if he remembered correctly, elbowed their husbands in the ribs and stepped forward to converse with one another. Emile tried hard not to laugh. He had heard that his mother and the Queen of Ringdorn were very good friends but it wasn't until he saw them together that he realized how similar they truly were.

"Rapunzel, so good to see you again!" Belle said, opening her arms to embrace the other woman.

"Oh, Belle," Rapunzel replied, "They need to hold these annual conferences more often! I have sooo much news to catch you up on!"

"You'll have to tell me everything!" Belle said, smiling, "I see that you left Prince Rufus at home to tend to the kingdom while you are away! I must say I will miss his wit and energy at the negotiations."

"Well, I thought a little real ruling experience would be good for him," Rapunzel said, chuckling, "He has grown so fast! I still remember him and Rhonwen toddling about the castle like it was yesterday and now look at them!"

"Yes, I can see how much Rhonwen has grown," replied Belle, smiling warmly at the princess, "She's become a very beautiful young lady."

"Thank you, your majesty," Rhonwen said cordially, doing a small curtsy.

"No need for such formality," Belle said, smiling all the wider, "Call me Belle!"

_The women have started to talk among themselves and are making their way into the house. My father and King Eugene, however, and still facing each other and looking none too happy about it. I think if father tried to bare any more teeth his lips would just surrender and fall right off his face! And as for King Eugene, he's making the most unpleasant and unintimidated smirk I have ever seen. Something tells me I'm going to like this man._

_Oh look, another carriage is approaching! It looks like the royal family of the Land of the Sun; yes, it is, I can hear the trumpeters playing the royal anthem, Hail to the Good Queen Aurora. I've heard that this queen was under a sleep spell for years and that her husband had to fight his way through enchanted thorn bushes to rescue her. And all because they failed to invite an evil fairy to Aurora's christening. Just goes to show you, keep your friends close and the evil curse-happy fairies even closer._

…_Not even I understand what I just wrote. _

The Sun Kingdom carriage came to a halt and out came the royal family.

"Welcome to my Kingdom…" started Vincent, in a clearly rehearsed voice. When the other carriage approached King Eugene apparently decided to find out where his wife went; he was nowhere to be seen. Belle had returned when she heard the trumpets though, and was standing next to her husband, smiling warmly at the approaching entourage.

_This King and Queen are more what I would expect other royalty to look like. They walk with grace and the cultured air, and all are wearing shoes as far as I can tell. The prince has a pair of burly looking guards at his sides; perhaps just a little paranoid of assassins? _

Just then the prince held out his hand to Vincent and abruptly collapsed. The two men at his sides seemed very prepared for this and they caught him under his arms and lifted him back up. The prince, however, was still seemingly unconscious.

_Ah, now I understand! I had heard of this! Part of his mother's curse was passed on to the prince and so he's given to falling asleep with no prior warning. I must say I feel sorry for the poor man. He must not have any privacy at all with those servants following him everywhere!_

"Hey, Fido!" a whisper said from the window behind Emile.

_Then again I can understand his pain._

"Go away Henri!" he whispered gruffly to the servant smiling sarcastically out the window, "And don't call me Fido!"

"Eh, Emile never suited you anyway," said Henri, "I just thought I should tell you that Cogsworth is going to have a heart attack trying to find you without worrying your father. We don't want his majesty to be at all improper with the other royals, now do we?"

"Henri," Emile whispered threateningly through bared teeth, "You're going to give away my position! Now go away or I'll throw you out of the household!"

"Now, now, why so grouchy?" asked Henri, in a mock hurt tone, "I was only going to say that if you are going to hide you should try and keep your fluffy tail inside the bushes! And if you father finds out that you are out here and that I helped you, I expect a very good letter of recommendation to the royal family of the next kingdom!"

"Yes, yes, I know!" Emile huffed, "Now please just go!"

"Of course, my good Prince Fido!" Henri replied in a haughty tone, "I will cover for your fluffy behind!"

Emile considered blowing his cover for the inviting notion of slapping Henri upside the head, but he thought better of it. He had put in too much preparation to give it up now. He turned back to the carriage and was disappointed to find that the Sun Kingdom royal family had already gone inside, probably to find somewhere to lay the young prince down. Nobody was anywhere nearby and what Henri had said made a lot of sense. He would have to find another hiding spot. Quickly and carefully he stood and bounded towards the thick hedge on the other side of the front door. He wouldn't be able to see as well but at least he was well covered, and he would be able to relax a little more without pricking himself on the rose thorns. He removed several of the said thorns and again settled down to wait for more arrivals.

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><p>"I would love to give you a tour of the castle!" Rhonwen heard Belle say as she led them inside, "My personal favorite room is the library."<p>

Belle then turned and opened a large door and led the way inside the enormous library, which must have contained at least a thousand books. Rhonwen couldn't help but stare in surprise at the towering shelves and beautiful stained glass window, which looked comparatively new and must have cost a pretty penny. As if she read her thoughts, Belle started to tell them about the window.

"Vincent had that window put in after we were married," she explained, smiling fondly at the happy memories, "He didn't tell me he was going to do it, and I got very frustrated with a lot of servants and with Vincent when they wouldn't let me into _my_ library, but, after the wedding ceremony was over, Vincent got an excited look on his face and opened the door to let me see _this_!"

"It's beautiful," Rapunzel said, spellbound by the artistry of the window, "Such details! Who were the artists; I must hire them to do the windows of our chapel!"

While her mother and Belle began to talk about prices and architects, Rhonwen went a little closer to the window, to examine it. It was an image of Vincent and Belle dancing, with other members of the household surrounding them, probably a memory of their engagement feast. Her mother had described the engagement feast several times; she said it had been the biggest event of the year, and that was saying a lot considering that Belle and Vincent weren't the only royals engaged that year. She would have continued to stare, but just then her father burst into the room with his usual flair, and Belle heard trumpets announcing the arrival of the Sun Kingdom's royals. She quickly begged excuse and walked out of the room just as Eugene was walking into it.

"Where did everybody run off to?" he said in a mock-hurt voice, "You all left me behind with _his highness_!"

Rhonwen knew well what was going to happen next, because she had seen it many times. Her mother would tease him about being a whiner, he would fix her with his best smolder, she would threaten to get out her frying pan, and the two of them would continue in witty banter until both of their significant sarcastic personalities were satisfied. What she didn't expect was the loud announcers preceding the arrival of the unconscious prince of the Sun Kingdom, followed by his worried parents, Vincent and Belle, and about twenty servants of both households.

Everyone in the room quickly moved to assist them, but the two hefty servants who had been carrying the young man had already placed him on a sofa and his mother and father had quickly came up beside him. When they had established that he was unhurt and comfortable, they turned to greet the rest of the people in the room, with all the long and boring explanations of titles that were included in a proper royal greeting (despite the fact that everyone in the room already knew them and had for quite some time). Aurora and her husband, Philip, introduced their son as well, who continued to snore away happily behind them. Sometime Rhonwen wished _she_ could sleep through these introductions too. After his introduction, Aurora told the two servants who'd carried him in to take him somewhere more quiet and the young prince was carried away again.

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><p>It was almost an hour before the next carriage came, this one bearing the royal family of the closest neighboring kingdom to the east. Queen Blanca and King Justinian descended from their carriage to be greeted by Emile's parents. The Princess, Rosa, followed behind.<p>

_Well, I have seen the King and Queen of the Eastern Kingdom before. They came to the castle during an emergency in their country, a famine, to ask personally for extra food to be brought to their starving people. I've never seen this princess before though. She is the exact opposite of her mother. Red hair, and a fairly red face, wearing a dress of pure black velvet. Her mother is wearing blue and yellow, which seem to be her favorite colors, as she has her husband wearing an outfit to match. Her skin is incredibly pale, so pale that I wonder if she could have a problem with her heart, and her hair is blacker than soot. It's no great wonder that I've heard her husband calls her Snow White. The nickname suits her in every way. Even her name, Blanca, means white. _

"So wonderful to see you, Belle," said Queen Blanca in an overly sweet formal tone, "I'm sure we will have time to catch up with each other later, but if you don't mind, my daughter and I would like to rest after our journey."

"Of course, I will have Cogsworth show you to your rooms," returned Belle, in an equally formal manner.

The royal party from the Eastern kingdom then made their way inside gracefully, with that exception of Princess Rosa.

_The princess walks in a decidedly undignified manner, almost like she's trying as hard as possible not to be graceful. Rebellious of her royal status perhaps? I'll have to watch her, she looks like she'll be amusing._

The royal carriage of the Southern Kingdom, ruled by King Eric and Queen Ariel arrived immediately after the carriage of the Eastern Kingdom, and so Vincent and Bell had to remain to greet the coming party and left the Eastern royal family in Cogsworth and Lumier's care.

_The carriage of the Southern Kingdom is truly something to behold! It is made of a giant conch shell, which is evidence of their rumored trade with the "kingdom" under the sea. In fact, it is said that the queen herself once resided under the water, and if the crab perched comfortably upon her shoulder is any evidence, that rumor is true too. And the princess is a lovely girl with thick black hair, looks just a little bit younger than myself. I've heard she's very sturdy minded as well, and will make a fine queen if she can find herself a husband. She and Princess Rhonwen are the only two here who are not yet engaged. Both are eighteen and should by this point be rather in need of a husband, as they cannot gain the full support of the people without a man by their side. Ridiculous, I think. I've heard of many women who could rule perfectly well by themselves, and many men who couldn't do without their queens. _

Vincent and Belle greeted the new guests happily before turning to guide them to their rooms or to any other part of the castle they would like to see, with the exception of the West Wing, Emile's quarters. It was "under renovation." However, as his father turned to lead the way inside he shot a suspicious look in Emile's direction, which carried more than a little worry. Emile cringed. His father knew he was not where he should be and when his father became worried, as he clearly was, anger was soon to follow. And yes, even minus the size, fur, and fangs of his former self, Vincent was not a man to be trifled with.

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><p><strong>I hope you like it! Don't keep you opinions to yourself, tell me what you think!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again readers! My second update on time! Yaaaaay! Make sure to send me plenty of reviews, I need the feedback. I started to have review cravings last week, so please don't make me suffer! Review! Review!**

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><p>Rhonwen tried to remain interested as the long, boring, official-kingdom-business discussion between the adults was made longer by the arrival of more dignitaries. Sadly, she failed terribly and was having great difficulty stifling a yawn when she spotted her father. He was obviously bored too, no great surprise there, but when Eugene became bored to also became mischievous. Vincent was not paying him any attention, since he was too busy speaking with King Justinian, and none of the other royals ever seemed to pay much attention to Eugene. He was not the king of Ringdorn by blood and Rapunzel tended to do all the talking in diplomatic situations. Eugene was amusing himself by seeing how many rude or ridiculous faces and gestures he could make behind Vincent's back before anybody noticed him (besides Rapunzel, who had been subtly glaring at him every chance she got since he started his little game). Rhonwen tried not to laugh when Vincent turned and her father's face transformed from a grotesque grimace into a haughty expression of dignity. The look Vincent gave him could have curdled milk.<p>

But eventually, despite her best efforts to listen and learn from the interactions, she could stand it no longer and asked her mother's permission to go to their suite, pleading exhaustion. Rapunzel granted it, of course, and her father quickly added himself to her party, saying that she would need his help to find her way. After enduring a few rolled eyes from some of the royals and glare of undisguised loathing from Vincent, the pair managed to escape the library.

"So," said Eugene when they were almost to the suite (and far enough away that nobody could possibly hear him from the library,) "I'll go to the suite and find out what kind of sissy, scented soap VIN-cent had them put into my bathroom, and you can go and find the other kids."

Rhonwen blinked, looking at her father in astonishment.

"How did you know I wasn't…?" she began, but was quickly interrupted.

"I may not be an active thief, but your mother _still_ has to bow to my people reading skills," Eugene said, smiling roguishly.

"Not bad, Dad," Rhonwen smiled, equally roguishly, "And thanks."

"No problem," he replied, "I know you don't want to spend your time hanging out with an old guy like me," here he sighed melodramatically, "Go, find other young people, and be happy! I'll go and wallow in my loneliness."

"Knock it off!" Rhonwen said, whacking his shoulder sarcastically, "You're such a drama queen!"

"That's a drama king, and don't you forget it!" he replied, very sure of what she would say next, as this was a common exchange between them.

"Don't be too sure!" she said mordantly, already going in the direction of the large sitting room where she thought everyone would be.

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><p>Emile was sitting in the hedge, staring out at the entrance to the palace he waited for more royals to arrive when he heard movement from the room directly behind him. His first instinct was to hide himself, but then he realized he was already doing that and so he decided that while he waited for the next royal party to arrive he could spy on whomever was in that room. He carefully peered through the window above his head to see the occupants of the room beyond it.<p>

On first glance, Emile saw only Princess Melody from the Southern Kingdom sitting in a chair and reading a book from his mother's library, in which the light "Pre-negotiation" conversation was now going on among the adults. She appeared to be alone until he saw someone stir on the seat on the other side of the room. It seemed that the Sleeping Prince, Prince Augustine, had been moved into this lounge room so that he wouldn't be disturbed by the conversation in the other room. This seemed rather boring, but watching them was better than watching the empty road so he continued to gaze inside and his effort was rewarded by the entrance of the beautiful Princess Rhonwen and the rebellious Princess Rosa. This might be an entertaining sight after all!

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><p>On her way into the lounge, Rhonwen encountered a most unusual sight. There was a redheaded girl, about her age from the looks of her, storming up to the door with a severely dissatisfied expression on her face. When she saw Rhonwen she stopped short.<p>

"Who're you?" she asked, in a burly, tomboy way.

"Princess Rhonwen, of Ringdorn," Rhonwen replied uncertainly.

"Oh," the redhead replied curtly, "A royal. Drat. I suppose that means I have to announce my title to the entire world now, so that you can know I come from a long, inbred line of royals who ruled the same country as my brother will. Well, you can forget that. I'm Red."

Rhonwen couldn't help but giggle at the expression Red got on her face when she described her family heritage.

"You can call me Rhoni, if you want to," she said merrily, "I hate that formality stuff too."

Red got a strange look on her face for a moment, and then she smiled widely (a little too widely to be proper for a princess).

"I think I'm going to like you, Rhon," she said happily.

"You going to the lounge too?" asked Rhonwen, smiling at the further shortening of her nickname.

"Yep," replied Red cheerily, "You want to join me?"

"Sure, why not?" said Rhonwen, and then added, "I've never been to one of these. My brother is the heir, so it was always him that got to come. It's good to have a friend."

Upon entering the main lounge Rhonwen was gratified to see that there were some other people in the room and her instincts hadn't been wrong. Princess Melody (who, as with most of the other princes and princesses, Rhonwen had never met) stood when they entered the room and began to greet both of them in the proper manner.

"Princess Rhonwen," she said cordially, "Princess Rosa, so good to see you!"

Rhonwen smiled. Of course everyone knew who the girl with seventy feet of hair was. She was about to reply in the same manner, but Red beat her to it.

"It's Red, Mel, you know that!" she said curtly, "And it's good to see you too."

Melody blinked a bit in surprise, but then smiled in a way that made Rhonwen sure they would get along.

"That's a boy's name."

"So what," Red replied, "I'm calling her Rhon!"

The three girls giggled and this and had soon broken into an easy conversation. After discussing recent news from their kingdom's that they thought would interest other girls their age, the conversation fell into the topic of the most recent royal engagements and marriages. Melody was the most up to date, so she led the conversation.

"Ok," Melody started, "So I just heard that the young Prince Addison from the Sun Kingdom and Prince Clarence from the Northern Kingdom were both recently engaged to noble women from their kingdoms."

"My brother Rufus was just engaged a few months ago to Princess Emilia from the Northern Kingdom," Rhonwen added shyly, "She seems very nice and the two like each other a lot."

"And my brother, Xavier, was just promised to Lucia of Northern," Red added, not so shyly, "That settles most of the children in the Northern Kingdom."

"All the royal children actually! Prince Charmon II, heir of the Northern Kingdom has just married Princess Adrienne of the Kingdom of the Sun, the elder sister of Prince Augustine, the heir. And his younger sister, Princess Dianna, has just become engaged to Prince Edward II, heir of Andalasia!" Melody said excitedly, "I hear Dianna and Edward _and_ Charmon and Adrienne are madly in love, and that they are perfect matches, both for their countries and for them!"

Melody and Rhonwen, the only princesses currently not engaged (besides Red, they assumed), both sighed happily here, imagining what it must be like to be engaged to your true love. That is, they almost sighed, until Red's decidedly sour voice brought them back to reality.

"Don't believe everything you hear," she said crossly, "That's probably what everyone says about me too, but it isn't true. I've never even met my _betrothed_."

Both girls looked at Red in astonishment.

"You're engaged?" Rhonwen exclaimed, barely able to keep the shock form her voice.

"Don't sound too surprised, Rhon!" Red chuckled.

"To who?" Melody asked.

"Prince Augustine, heir of the Kingdom of the Sun," Red replied in a bored way, and if she had said his name far too many times for her enjoyment, "I've never seen him before in my life. One day my father just got this letter from him, proposing marriage and my mother was so excited she sent a positive reply before she even told me about it. Luckily we weren't expected to marry right away; I think they were just trying to find a way to gain an alliance between our countries."

Both of the other girls in the room had an expression of shock and not a small amount of amusement on their faces because it was very clear from Red's little speech that she had not noticed Augustine was sleeping on the sofa on the other side of the room. Even if she couldn't recognize his face, saying such a thing in front of a boy would be mortifying. Red noticed this and stopped talking, looking at her friends questioningly, and they burst into riotous giggles.

"Have you two both lost your minds?" Red asked, her bewilderment growing.

Just then, seemingly disturbed by the squealing laughter of the young princesses, Augustine sat up and looked around him in a disoriented way. His sudden movement surprised Red, who was unaware of his presence, so much that she screamed in a way quite unbecoming to a princess and fell out of her chair, which only cause her friends to laugh all the harder. Seeing the young ladies only seemed to confuse poor Augustine further, but upon seeing Red fall he rushed over to help her back up again.

"My dear lady, are you all right?" he said concernedly.

"I'm perfectly capable of getting myself up, _thankyouverymuch_!" replied Red, glowering as she stumbled up to a standing position, "How long have you been lurking there?"

"Lurking where?" Augustine asked, seemingly still a bit confused as to where he was, and a bit in awe of the stunning woman who now stood before him, glaring venomously.

"He wasn't lurking," Rhonwen said through her laughter, stopping Red before she started cursing at the poor man, "He was just lying on the couch. He fainted earlier, and they must have put him in here to rest!"

"Fainted?" Red asked, her temper seemingly dissolving into amusement, "What kind of a man faints?"

"Not this kind, I assure you, my lady," replied Augustine happily, not seeming to take offence to a thing she had said against him, "I did not faint, I fell asleep. It happens sometimes to me sometimes. But, I beg your forgiveness for my lack of manners; I am Prince Augustine, heir to the Kingdom of the Sun. And who, my lady, do I have the pleasure of addressing?"

Red just stared at him for a moment, her face becoming very pale. Then her body seemed to decide that it was her turn to faint, and she crumpled into poor, bewildered Augustine's arms.

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><p>Emile pulled away from the window as Princess Rosa, or Red, as she seemed to prefer, fainted dead away. He couldn't stop his laughter this time, but merrily chuckled to himself in the bushes, trying not to let it become too loud. That was the last thing he had come to expect after what he had seen of Red, and, like her two friends inside, he had to laugh despite his concern for her. He gradually regained control over his laughter again and was about to return to his spying when a loud announcer sang out the declaration of the arrival of the King of Agrabah. Emile jumped and hid himself more thoroughly in the bushes.<p>

_Why do all the announcers have to be so blasted loud?_

Reluctantly, he abandoned the scene inside the room behind him and pulled out his notebook to record the arrival. It was a more difficult task than he would have thought.

_The King of Agrabah has arrived in as much splendor as his wealthy kingdom can provide for him, and I do not exaggerate. His party is preceded by a large group of dancers, all in bright red silk costumes, and led by a large, blue, singing monstrosity which I can only assume is the famous genie that follows the king. The king himself is not in a carriage, and neither are his sons. They are all riding on the backs of elephants. I have never seen an elephant in person, and I must say that their size is, well, impressive. Especially when they are draped in red, yellow, and white silk and they wear feathered hats on their heads. My question is how the royal family is going to get down from their backs. Oh, there it is! Question answered. The elephants have just knelt to let their riders get down. That's incredible. I have no idea how we're going to fit those things into the barn though. Cogsworth will have a heart attack._

Emile paused in his writing here to look up again and see the royal family as they descended.

_The King is wearing the traditional garments of his country, and they are bright, pure white, right down to his pointed shoes. The only thing that isn't white is the large, purple feather on his turban. His sons are each dressed much the same way, with the exception of the color of their feathers, and good gracious does he have a lot of sons! Seven he brought with him, and I hear there are three more young sons and five daughters he must have left at home! His eldest son, Prince Ahmed, rubs my fur backwards just by the way he walks. I could be wrong, but I don't think I'll ever regret not knowing him. It's the same way with most of the rest of the princes, 'Ajib, Akif, Ala', Afeef, and Adnan (and it must be hell trying to remember who's who in that house!). There's one son though, Prince Akram, who seems to me to be very polite. He didn't sneer and Cogsworth and Lumier on the way in, like the others did. I'll have to keep an eye on him._

Just then Emile was distracted from his writing by a loud, obnoxious, and dangerously close squawking. He looked above his head to see an abnormally large, red parrot, screaming at the top of its lungs.

"LOOK AT THIS GIANT WOLF I'VE … GAAAAACK!

Emile wasted no time. He reached out, grabbed the tattling bird by the neck, and pulled it into to bushes. He clamped his hand around its beak and looked back out to see what the damage was. Surprisingly, only a few people were even looking in their direction, and it was clear from their expressions that they hadn't seen his hand. He inwardly rejoiced about his wise choice to move further away from the door. They were too far away for him to easily hear them, but that meant that he was too far for them to easily hear him. Him, or the insufferable bird he was now holding prisoner. His shoulders slumped in relief as the royal party all followed his parents inside. That was dangerously close.

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><p><strong>So there it is! I hope I made everything clear enough on who's engaged to whom, and if you have any questions don't hesitate to tell me in a review! I'll be very glad to explain how many children each kingdom has and who is the King and Queen, since not everyone has arrived yet and you could get confused. I know I have. I had to make a chart to keep track of them all! Review! PPPPLLLLEEEEAAAAASSSSEEEE!<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello again, readers! Another chapter posted on time! It makes me very happy. **

**Oh, by the way, I just found out that the Prince from sleeping beauty was one of the few they actually gave a name, and I've gone and used the wrong one on him. His real name was Philip, and, though I won't go through the effort of redoing all the chapters that used the wrong name, I'll use it from now on. Sorry if I confused anyone. You have full permission to tell me how annoyed you are in a review! ;) ;)**

**And one more thing I should mention. The Ella that comes into the story in this chapter is Cinderella. In the original fairy tale Cinderella was a cruel nickname given to Ella by her step sisters because she was always covered in cinders from cleaning the fireplaces. I don't remember if it's that way in the movie, but I thought that she should go by her true name now that she's royalty and all. **

**Ok, so now on to the show...**

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><p>Emile still sat in the bushes, and would be a bit bored after another long wait if he didn't have the problem of the annoying parrot to consider. He knew he couldn't hold onto it forever, since its owner would notice it was missing after a while. Yet he couldn't let it go either, or he would risk being exposed to everyone in the castle by its tattling mouth. What he really would like to do is kill the little pest, it had already bitten him twice, but he was sure <em>that<em> wouldn't be taken well at all. Finally, another royal carriage could be heard in the distance and Emile was forced to make a choice.

"Listen here, bird," he said, but was swiftly interrupted by the bird biting his finger, _again_.

"The name is Iago, buddy," said the red feathered menace, now that his beak was free, "And let me just say, a royal parrot such as myself does not take terribly kindly to being held in this undignified manner!"

"Good!" said Emile in an intense whisper, "Because I'm going to have to let you go. But know this! I see everything that goes on in this castle and if I see you tell anyone about me or how you were captured, I will track you down at night and this time I won't let you go. Got it?"

Emile was getting more and more frustrated and it was beginning to show in his body language. During this little speech his fur on the back of his neck had spiked up in fury and he had begun to bare his enormous teeth. All this had a very predictable effect on Iago, the parrot. He eyes grew to nearly twice their original size and he became very quiet. When Emile finished speaking, it took a little bit for the bird to work up the courage to answer.

"Y-yes, s-s-sir!" he said quietly, dread evident on his face.

"Good," said Emile, "Now fly away before the royals in that carriage approaching see you!"

The bird needed no second bidding. He few away with a haste that would have impressed Emile if he had paid attention to it, but he was too busy watching the carriage that was on approach. He had already pulled out his notebook and was scribbling furiously.

_It appears that the royal party from Andalasia is arriving, and they are swiftly followed by the carriage from the Northern Kingdom. That makes sense, with the recent engagement between Prince Edward II and Princess Dianna. They probably traveled together since the border of their kingdom, that's why it took so long for them to arrive. _

_The King and Queen of Andalasia are emerging first. The queen looks sensible and intelligent, but I can't make out this king. First of all, he's wearing the most ridiculous outfit I've ever seen; it's a purple velvet tunic with puffed sleeves, knee high black leather boots, and criminally tight purple leggings. The prince is the image of his father, wearing the same ridiculous style of clothing and carrying himself the same way. These two should be amusing to watch, simply because they're so…silly. The royal party has already been greeted by my father by the looks of it (do I ever wish I could hear that conversation!) and the royals from the Northern Kingdom are emerging._

Emile stopped to frantically sharpen his pencil before continuing his writing.

_King Charmon and Queen Ella are the image of decent monarchs. They are dressed to match, both in blue, but they pull it off without coming off as cheesy. They move gracefully and they carry themselves with dignity, which is more than I can say for the Andalasia men._

_The princess, Dianna, follows them out of the carriage. She looks like a very amiable girl, perhaps my age, though she looks very small and delicate. She looks a great deal like her mother, but she has her father's brunette hair, which suits her nicely. She isn't a woman who most would consider stunning, and some wouldn't even call her beautiful, but she has a charm of her own. Very graceful. _

Just then Emile paused again, for it took him a minute to register what he was seeing.

_It appears that Melody was telling no falsehood when she said that the young couple were in love. Prince Edward II, upon seeing the young lady, rushed to her side, fell to one knee, and started singing a love ballad. _

Emile looked up again to watch the amusing scene.

"I've been dreaming of a true love's kiss…" sang the young prince rather tonelessly.

_King Edward and Queen Nancy are looking on this scene with an expression that seems to be nostalgia, and are not at all attempting to stop him. The King Charmon is rolling his eyes, and Queen Ella is blinking in a surprised way, but neither of them are doing anything about it either. I wish I could have a painting of my father's face right now, a queer mixture of disgust and fascination, and my mother is snickering behind her hand. Dianna looks a little flustered, but flattered all the same, and she's smiling at him now. I guess love is not only blind, but deaf as well!_

_The prince has finished his song now and taken his lady's arm, and the royal parties are going inside. That makes them the last of the arrivals to the royal castle, which means that negotiations can go on tomorrow, as planned. I've found the perfect hiding spot so that I can listen to the negotiations through the wall. _

Emile put his pencil away and waited for everyone to go inside. Then he turned around and looked back through the window to see how everyone was handling Red's fainting spell.

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><p>Rhonwen was having a hard time stifling her laughter after Red's little episode, because not only had she fainted, which was funny in itself coming from such a study looking girl, but she had fallen into the arms of none other than the prince she had been bashing just a moment before. Rhonwen knew that she probably hadn't intended it that way, but it was still funny.<p>

However, Augustine seemed exceedingly worried for her, and Rhonwen couldn't help being a little worried too. She could tell Melody was a bit concerned as well from the look on her face as Augustine carried Red over to the sofa, trying vainly to wake her. Everyone grew even more concerned when their best efforts to rouse Red failed and they discovered they had been trying for half an hour. Finally, Augustine pulled a small bottle out of his pocket which looked like smelling salts (of course _he_ would carry such a thing) and was going to hold it under Red's nose, but they were all startled and Red was awakened by the announcers declaring the arrival of the parties from both Andalasia and the Northern Kingdom.

"What are you doing?" Red yelled, finding Augustine a little too close to her for her comfort, "Get away from me, you sneak!"

At this Augustine did not look hurt, as most men probably would have, but simply backed away and replaced the bottle into his pocket.

"I was merely trying to awaken you, my lady," he said cordially

"I'm no lady!" Red yelled, sitting up awkwardly, "I'm Red!"

At this statement Augustine looked a little confused and Melody and Rhonwen burst into laughter. Red was just fine.

"Red," said Melody through her sniggering, "You scared us! What happened?"

"I passed out!" said Red, with a bizarre look on her face, "What do you think happened?"

"I've never seen you pass out before," said Melody, looking more serious and concerned, "When did this start happening?"

"When I first started walking, I suspect," said Red, unperturbedly, "The doctor says I have a weak heart, like my mother."

"My lady," said Augustine, who was beginning to fidget at being in the middle of this conversation without even knowing who he was talking to, "This is all very interesting, but I must again ask your name. Is it truly Red?"

Red was about to answer yes, why should it not be, when Melody cut her off.

"Her real name is Rosa, Princess Rosa of the Eastern Kingdom," said Melody curtly, "She tends to go by Red and you would never have gotten her real name out of her."

At this Red stuck out her tongue and crossed her eyes at Melody behind her back. Augustine saw and got a small, amused smile on his face.

"Red it is then," he said, sitting down beside Red as he did so, "And you might have told me that I was addressing my fiancé."

"Why would I do that?" Red asked, "It would make conversation even more awkward than it already is."

"I suppose it might," said Augustine, his smile growing slightly, "But it would also allow me to compliment you on your beauty without seeming forward."

"Compliment me on my…" Red started, staring at him in undisguised sarcastic wonder, "I say you are forward."

"And I say you are headstrong," replied Augustine dauntlessly, "It suits you."

At this Red gaped at Augustine and could think of absolutely no reply and so Augustine moved away, thinking the conversation was over. Melody and Rhonwen had been watching this with very evident girlish glee (Aww, lookit that, she's blushing, must suppress squeal!). Augustine now turned to them and was about to introduce himself again and give them the proper amount of time to do the same when another party entered the room. Apparently the current inhabitants were not the only ones who easily grew tired with the pre-negotiation conversation. A dark skinned, handsome young man entered the room, dressed in Arabic clothing and looking very bored. He brightened when he saw other young people in the room, and brightened considerably more when he saw how many of them were female.

"Hello!" he said happily, "I am Akram, Prince of Agrabah. Who do I have the pleasure of addressing?"

Augustine and the three girls all started to introduce themselves simultaneously, then, finding they had all started at once, they all began to laugh. Akram laughed with them, glad to be away from the library.

"Ok," Red said loudly enough to be heard over the chaos, "Let's just drop the formality, a'right? I'm Red, that's Mel, she's Rhon, and _he_ is _Augustine_," she pronounced his name with particular disgust, which only made Augustine smile at her again.

"I'm glad to meet you all!" said Akram.

"My real name is Rhonwen, not Rhon," said Rhonwen, slightly embarrassed at the use of her nickname in front of a strange boy.

"And mine is Melody, but you could use either one, if you want to," Melody said pleasantly.

"Now, you see, I was just thinking that you were far too beautiful a girl to be named Mel," he said, turning to Melody, "Melody suits you much better, because I'm sure many a young man have written a song about you beauty."

"Now you _are_ forward," replied Melody wryly, and everyone laughed, even Akram, who didn't understand the joke.

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><p>Emile spied through the window and chuckled lightly to himself as he watched the inhabitants. He would have continued to do so had someone not quietly walked up behind him and cleared his throat. Emile jumped, then froze, then winced. Nobody inside had seen him, but somebody else had. He turned slowly to see his father glaring down at him, a severe look on his face.<p>

"I want you to go back to your room, right now," he said quietly, "I'll be meeting you there."

"Yes, Father," said Emile awkwardly, then added, "How did you find me?"

"The bird flew in through the library door and started squawking about a wolf in the bushes that could talk, captured him, and threatened his life," Vincent answered bluntly, "Luckily for you, I'm the only one who believed him. Game's over now, son."

"Yes, Father."

That settled it. Emile was going to kill that blasted bird.

Emile arrived in his quarters by a roundabout way, to be sure nobody saw him, and so he was not surprised when he discovered that his father got there before him.

"Nobody saw you?" his father questioned testily.

"No, Father," Emile replied.

"What were you thinking?" Vincent asked, and from the look on his face he truly wanted an answer.

"I was thinking that this is the only time I'll ever get to see this, and so I should make the most of it," Emile replied, knowing that this was not the answer his father would want but not daring to lie.

"You thought you would go, sit in the bushes, and watch to arriving royals, right?" Vincent asked.

"Yes, Father," Emile replied.

"And nobody, accept the parrot, ever spotted you?" Vincent asked.

"Nobody, Father," Emile replied.

Emile expected his father to explode, maybe throw a few chairs, or begin a long speech about how he was risking the safety of himself and the entire royal family by doing what he did. He did not expect him to smile, nor to laugh, but that's what he did and Emile stared at him in bewilderment.

"You really think I did not guess that you would do this?" Vincent asked.

"No, well maybe, yes, maybe," Emile sputtered.

"I knew you would want to see this and that's why I kept it out of the palace until you were old enough to hide yourself properly," his father replied, looking somewhat serious again, "But if you wanted to do this, you should have told me about it. I spent some time as a beast as well, you know, and I have found a few cleaver hiding spots in my time. Tell me, are you planning to listen to the negotiations tomorrow?"

"Y-yes," answered Emile, still baffled by this turn of events.

"It will be held in the North Hall," Vincent said, a mischievous look coming to his eyes, "I'm sure you already know that, but you don't know about the secret room I had installed when I was the beast."

Emile just stared at his father, his mouth hanging open. Vincent took this as an encouraging sign, and so he continued.

"You should also know that there is a secret chamber in the library and in the little lounge where the young people were that you were so intently spying on."

Emile's fur ruffled at that, his equivalent of a blush, and Vincent just smiled.

"You have my permission to watch what is going on," Vincent said after a while, "But only if you use your head and the secret rooms I'm going to show you. I don't want any of these royals to see you, because that would be disastrous. You remember what I told you about that man, Gaston, who lead an entire army here after seeing me through the mirror?"

Emile nodded.

"Good," Vincent said, satisfied that his son would be careful.

"Oh, and Emile?" Vincent said as he led his son from the room to show him the secret chambers, "If you ever scare me that much again, I'll kill you."

Emile smiled. _That_ was the father he was used to.

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><p><strong>Now tell me what you think! Ask any questions that come to mind! Don't be shy! Review! Review! <strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**Yay! Another chapter done! And the crowd goes wild! AAHHHH! **

**Review please, and enjoy!**

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><p>The negotiations began the next day, as was planned, and Rhonwen couldn't have been more excited. She wanted so badly to come to these meetings in the past, so her heart was jumping all morning at the chance to finally see them. She followed her parents to the North Hall and was awed by the size of the room. Sure, her own castle had many rooms just as large, but walking into an enormous room always tended to make her feel smaller, and she gazed up at the beautiful ceiling beams, which must have been thirty feet above them, in wonder.<p>

Everyone was seated in their parties, and Rhonwen sat between her parents excitedly. She was overjoyed to see that Red's family was seated directly across from hers, but she found with some dismay that Melody was sitting all the way on the other end of the table. _Oh well, one out of two isn't bad._

Red noticed her too, and greeted her with a wide smile, which was so wide that it gained Red a disapproving look from her mother. Rhonwen smiled back to her.

The negotiations turned out to be less interesting than Rhonwen would have thought. Permission was gained for one country to build a road into another country, trades were re-negotiated from the changes in the markets, and Rhonwen found it difficult to pay attention after that. She was more interested in the notes which she had been subtly passing with Red under the table.

_Poor Mel__**…**_the latest one read…_she looks like __she's about to explode. Imagine, having to sit near to that Edward II character all morning! I pity her._

Rhonwen smiled and looked over at Melody, who did indeed seemed a little frustrated. Edward seemed to be regaling her with a story of his latest hunt, not at all aware that she might not be interested in hearing it. Rhonwen wrote a reply.

_We should try to do something, talk to her somehow. _

Red looked down at her lap as she read the note. Then she smiled wryly and started to scribble something down. She passed the paper back under the table.

_Melody said that she was going to cajole her mother's crab into helping us send notes. Can't you hear its feet scuttling? We should have the first one soon!_

It turned out that Rhonwen did hear scuttling, and was about to send a reply when she saw Red casually lean down a little and pick up something. Rhonwen looked at her eagerly. Red read the note, turned a strange shade of pink in the face, and put a note back on the crab. Rhonwen looked at her expectantly and soon received and explanatory note under the table.

_None of your business, _it said.

Rhonwen looked at her in a letdown way at sent the reply _no fair!_

Red just smiled evilly.

Just then they both heard the scuttling again and Rhonwen found that this time the crab came to her. She smiled as much as she dared and retrieved the note as carefully as she could.

_I know Red didn't tell you what the last note said, so I'll say it again. Have you seen the way Augustine has been staring at Red the whole morning? _

Rhonwen looked up at Red, who had grown to match her nickname in the color of her face as well as her hair, and then glanced over at Augustine. Sure enough, there he was, four chairs away on Rhonwen's side of the table, looking at Red in a very attractive way. His blond hair was neatly combed, he wore a dress uniform from his country, and his large grey-blue eyes stared over curiously. Rhonwen smiled even more and started writing her reply to Melody.

_He looks so handsome! Red is a lucky girl and she doesn't even know it!_

She gave the note to the crab, which carried it in his claw in the most adorable way. Rhonwen could have sworn that the crab looked disapprovingly at her, but it must have been her imagination. She looked up to see Red looking at her expectantly and wrote a swift note.

_None of _your _business!_

Red looked up with a furrowed brow and a small pout, but Rhonwen only shrugged slightly. Red's face turned red again and she made a face at Rhonwen, earning another disapproving look from her mother. Rhonwen winked.

All the sudden the crab scuttled again, but neither Rhonwen nor Red got the note. Instead, it seemed to go four chairs down the table from them. They both sat up a little straighter and tried, vainly, to keep the pick shade from coming to their cheeks. They both watched in agony as Augustine retrieved the note and read it, subtly. He smiled, and wrote a note of his own. It seemed impossibly long, and Red was staring over at him with distress, but eventually it was sent. Surprisingly, both girls were visited by the little crab before it returned to Melody.

_Thank you for inviting me into your conversation ladies, _Augustine's note(s) said, in fine handwriting, _having fun are we?_

Rhonwen smiled at the polite little note, knowing now that the reason he wrote for so long was that he was writing out three different notes. _Very much, thank you, _she wrote back, giving it to the crab the next time he came around. Melody only smiled across the table at him.

Red read his note and her face turned scarlet yet again. She angrily scrawled something onto a scrap of paper and sent it to him on the crab. Rhonwen cringed. She hoped it wasn't too insulting to the poor boy; she rather liked his easy going ways. Much to her relief, it appeared that he could handle whatever it was the Red sent him, as his only reaction was an amused smile and a wink to the redhead.

Red nearly exploded at this, and was writing so violently on her bit of paper that her mother noticed her. Queen Blanca whispered a few words into Red's ear, took her pencil, and gave her a warning glance. Augustine looked over in boyish concern and both Melody and Rhonwen looked at her questioningly, but no more notes came from Red. And, since Red was his only interest in the conversation, no more came from Augustine either. Rhonwen gave up sending notes as well, because she didn't want to chance getting caught like Red had been, but she did notice that the crab continued to scuttle. It wasn't going to Red, Augustine, or herself though. It appeared to be going to and from Melody and Akram's chairs with a great deal of frequency. Rhonwen smiled over at Melody knowingly and then let her keep her private conversation with Akram as she pleased. There were only about twenty more minutes of negotiations to do before they were done for the day.

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><p>Emile woke up early on the morning of the negotiations so that he could get to the secret room his father had shown him before anyone else in the household stirred. To his delight he found a few servants already awake and bringing him breakfast, which he accepted happily. His mother then came to give him some books, saying that there would be parts of the negotiations that he wouldn't really need to pay attention to, and bidding him to be careful. He thanked her happily and exchanged a hug before rushing off to the hiding place.<p>

It was ingenious indeed, for not only were the walls thin enough to hear through easily, but there was a small vent, which was made to look like an original part of the ventilation system, which could be noiselessly opened so that he could both see and hear what was going on in the other room. The conversation was interesting, in places, and Emile could tell it was important to his country, but what he found even more amusing was the group of royal children exchanging notes under the table. He could tell from their faces that they were having a great deal of fun, especially from Princess Rhonwen's face, which showed emotions easily, and Red's, which showed them even more.

Suddenly, Emile was struck with a feeling of loneliness. What he wouldn't give to be a part of that conversation! To send a note to Rhonwen and see her smile at what it said. Would he ever be able to do that, to belong to a group like these young people did? Emile sighed. Watching the negotiations was harder for him than he thought it would be.

Lumier brought him a small, almost scentless brunch (for the sake of his cover) about halfway through the morning, and Emile ate it silently. He took notes for the rest of the negotiations and then quickly ran from his hiding place as the royals stood and began to leave, giving long, rehearsed-sounding speeches about how productive this first day of negotiations had been. He bolted to the library, which was where a lot of the people would hopefully go, and settled himself into his hiding place there. He was pleasantly surprised to find a nice cold lunch waiting there for him. He pounded it down and pulled out his notebook, waiting eagerly to see who he would be taking notes on.

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><p>Rhonwen and a small group of the young royals, made up of Red, Melody, Akram and Augustine, all went quickly to the library after the negotiations ended, as they had decided the night before. Red made a great show of standing on the opposite side of the group from Augustine, which was very amusing to him but served no other purpose as he was tall enough to see her anyway. In fact, Akram began to make fun of Augustine, in a good natured way, calling him a giraffe (Akram was feeling a little bit too short for his liking). Augustine just smiled that amused, sarcastic smile of his and responded by calling Akram a pigmy. The two of them had begun to teasingly spar by the time they arrived at the library, throwing insults back and forth and enjoying it immensely.<p>

"Spotted toad!" said Augustine with a smile.

"Sputtering wombat!" replied Akram, smiling just as devilishly as his friend.

"Devious amphibious!" spat back Augustine, and this one seemed to amuse them both so much that they paused a moment in their game to laugh.

"Boys!" said Red disgustedly, "Amused by insulting each other."

"Aren't you?" asked Augustine, smiling at her again.

Red couldn't stand that smile. She turned away from him distainfully and refused to speak another word, and he returned unabashedly to his game with Akram.

Just then another group came into the library. It was made up of Prince Edward II, Princess Dianna, and three of Akram's elder brothers, who seemed to be looking for some amusement.

"Hello," started Edward courteously when he saw the other inhabitants of the room, "Most of you know me, but for those of you who do not, I am…"

"Hey, none of that here," interrupted Red, sensing that he was about the launch into his customary four minute long introduction speech, "Abandon all formality, yee who enter here. That's the rule. Just give us you first name, without any numbers attached, and that will do just fine."

Augustine smiled amusedly at Red, who blushed _again_ at his attentions, much to her own dismay, and the newcomers stared in a shocked sort of way. Akram's brothers smiled, and the eldest came forward first.

"I am Ahmed, the eldest, and that's Adnan and Afeef," he said, smiling in an openly flirtatious way at Red.

"Um," started Edward, still a bit unsure of what to say, "I suppose that means that I'm only allowed to say I'm Edward. And this beautiful, glorious vision at my side is my fiancé, Dianna."

As he said this, a look of blind admiration came to his face and the small, shy young woman at his side blushed and waved a little bit to the other girls. Most everyone in the room smiled a little, for it was clear that Edward meant what he said, despite how cheesy it came out to be. Ahmed, Adnan, and Afeef, however, laughed openly and maliciously at him.

"Why would you say something like that?" Adnan said, snorting as he laughed, "If that homely little thing was my fiancé I wouldn't be bragging about it!"

Akram's face turned a deep shade of purple in his embarrassment, and everyone else stared in shock at the impertinent boy.

"How dare you say such a thing!" said Edward, rallying to his beloved's defense, "She is an angel, and any man who would say such a thing does not even deserve to look on her!"

This comment, again unintentionally cheesy, sent the rude boys into another fit of laughter.

"My brother wouldn't say something if it wasn't true," said Ahmed, still chortling, "Now this woman," he said, gesturing to Red, "She's well worth looking at! And a healthy size too."

Poor Dianna turned a deep shade of crimson at this and seemed on the virge of tears. Edward, noticing her distress immediately, went to her side and whispered to her, holding her closely.

"Or her," added Afeef, pointing to Melody, "With her dark, gipsy hair and pale skin. I wouldn't mind having her for a wife."

"I like the blond one," said Adnan, "She looks dainty and feminine, but still has a bit of life to her, with such beautiful hair."

Afeef and Adnan stayed where they were, openly leering at Melody and Rhonwen, but Ahmed walked forward to address Red.

"May I ask what your first name is, beautiful?" he asked in a sultry and obviously flirtatious voice.

"No, you may not!" replied Red indignantly, "I only give it to men worth my time!"

At this, Ahmed abruptly slapped Red's face with the back of his hand, which shocked everyone in the room besides Akram, who was used to his brother's cruel streak when it came to women. Red's face was crimson again, but this time her blush was in the shape of a hand. She turned back to Ahmed and looked like she was ready to take him on, but Augustine was not about to let that stand. She could get hurt worse. Recovering quickly from his shock and physically moving Red away from Ahmed, he glared down at the shorter man wrathfully.

"My lady said she would not like to give you her name, sir," Augustine all but snarled, "And you have gravely insulted her, yourself, and everyone else present here by striking a woman! I suggest you leave now."

He drew himself up to his full six foot and three inch height here, pulling out of his habitual slouch, and squared his large shoulders. Unknown to Augustine, Red was now staring at him with something resembling a mixture of awe and indignance. _Hey! I can fight my own battles,_ mixed with,_ Holy cow, he's huge!_

Ahmed was intimidated by the rather large man now standing before him, but he had a deep set sense of bravado, a family trait gone wrong, which would not allow him to show it. He drew himself up to his full height, which was not much, and stared proudly up at Augustine's angry face.

"Are you going to make me?" he asked, unashamedly.

Augustine was going to say something more, but suddenly his eyes rolled violently and his body crumpled (a long way) to the ground. Ahmed, Adnan, and Afeef all began to laugh spitefully, and Red rushed over to him. Akram did similarly, for Augustine's head hit the ground with a frighteningly loud thump.

"I scared him so much he fainted!" Ahmed said laughingly, and Akram stood and confronted his brother, yelling at him in Arabic.

Ahmed yelled back in the same tongue and the two of them spat back and forth at each other, while Edward and Red lifted Augustine's limp body onto a chair and the other girls crowded around him. Finally, Ahmed turned and left, spitting something spiteful at Akram over his shoulder as he did, and the other two brothers followed suit. Akram stood ridged for a minute to make sure they were gone and then turned to help Augustine. Melody ran to fetch one of the royal doctors that traveled with the parties. As she passed him, Melody touched his hand and smiled grimly at him to thank him for the stand he had taken. Akram smiled back at her.

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><p>Emile stared with shock at the scene he had just watched, too stunned even to remember to write anything of it down in his notebook. He knew he wouldn't like that Prince Ahmed or the other brothers. The way they carried themselves spoke a great deal of pride, but not the dignity that the other monarchs possessed. They were spoiled.<p>

He watched in great concern as Melody ran for the doctor, knowing that meant that Augustine was hurt by his fall. Red, who had put in a great deal of effort to prove she disliked Augustine, now cradled his head carefully, and looked like she was on the verge of tears what she found blood on her hands. Then, to everyone's surprise, Rhonwen took charge and spoke out in a loud voice.

"Everyone, back away!" Rhonwen yelled, and Emile could see that she had been undoing her braid.

She must have been working on it since Augustine had fallen, but nobody noticed her until now. He watched in wonder as she pulled out only about ten barrettes and her mass of hair came tumbling down around her.

"Back away, give me some room," she said again, for everyone was so shocked by her undoing her hair that they hadn't moved.

They did, of course, move away instantly, with the exception of Red, who was still stubbornly holding Augustine's head, refusing to back away. Rhonwen picked up her hair with surprising ease and walked over to Augustine. She carefully pulled out a strand of her hair from the rest and wrapped it gently around his head. The room was deathly silent, for everyone had heard what would come next. Emile thought it likely that everyone, like himself, had even stopped breathing in anticipation. Rhonwen began her song.

"_Flower gleam and glow, Let your power shine, Make the clock reverse, Bring back what once was mine! Heal what has been hurt, Change the fates' design, Save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine! What once was mine!"_

The eerie, ancient sounding song echoed through the room as Rhonwen's hair began to glow. Emile stared in awe as her hair lit up the room, sparkling like gold in the sunlight and glowing like a freshly lit lantern. When the song ended, everyone, including Emile, looked eagerly towards Augustine, as Rhonwen unwrapped his head. It was evident immediately that it worked, because all traces of the blood were gone, and Augustine started to stir. When his eyes opened, everyone in the room cheered and Rhonwen blushed prettily. Emile had never seen something more beautiful in his entire life.

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><p><strong>Ok, so I hope nobody is upset with me for Amed, Adnan, and Afeef. Not every royal child belonging to our favorite disney characters can turn out well, and I thought they made the story a little more realistic. Akram is sort of the black sheep of the family, with a good humor and a better respect for women than his brothers because he was born after five sisters and was essentially raised by them. I couldn't find a way to fit that in yet, but I thought it would help you understand his character. <strong>

**Also, I finally got to show Rhonwen's hair in action! Woot! **

**Poor Emile. He'll be in the group soon too!**

**Please review! whether you like it or not, I want to know what you think! That way I can make the next chapter better!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Next Chapter! Bring on the plot! Yayayayayayayayayay! And please do bring on the reviews! Esspecially all you who are reading and haven't reviewed yet. _suspitious glance._ You know who you are. lol, Just kidding, but really do review please! **

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><p>Rhonwen was overwhelmed by the congratulations of her friends after she helped Augustine, because she was well used to what her hair did and the sudden compliments were unexpected. She blushed happily and humbly accepted the praise with a simple "thank you." Red was telling poor Augustine what had happened in a strange tone between frantic, as she had been but moments before, and covertly overjoyed as she was now. Melody arrived with the doctor and most of the royals in tow, and when it was discovered what she had done another cheer went up. Augustine thanked her profusely and meekly allowed the doctor to check his head, just to be on the safe side. Queen Aurora embraced her son with tears in her eyes and ordered that his bodyguards would not leave his side for one moment for the rest of the visit.<p>

Rhonwen eventually escaped all the attention, letting everyone get the story from the others, and her father came up behind her.

"Good girl," he said simply, a proud smirk on his face.

"Thanks, Dad," Rhonwen replied.

"Well timed too," he said, sarcastic again, "It gave me good excuse to escape from King Edward. He was between me and the door and was talking my ear off about his latest dragon hunting venture. That man is aggravating sometimes, everyone has to think so."

"Even King Vincent?" Rhonwen asked, smirking at the idea of those two agreeing on something.

"Yes, esspecially him," her father replied, smiling at the thought, "He was trapped too. Looked like he was about ready to box the guy's ears."

Rapunzel, who had been listening to Red discribing what had happened intently, walked over to her daughter just then and embraced her.

"That's my girl," said Rapunzel, "You're always so clear headed when someone needs you. I'm so proud!"

"Thank you, Mother," Rhonwen said, starting to get flustered again at the extra attention.

Gradually the other royals began to leave. King Aladdin was the first to go, and it was in quite a hurry too, for he heard how his sons behaved from Akram and left immediately to have words with them about causing international disputes. Some of the other royals left soon after, knowing that everyone was safe. Aurora insisted that Augustine return to their suite for the rest of the day, and the little band of royal children soon broke up as well, each going with their parents for a more in depth discussion of what had happened. Edward and Dianna left together, going towards the lounge. Rapunzel told her husband and daughter that she needed to return to the suite to prepare for the debate in negotiations tomorrow, and Eugene said that he'd rather go for a walk with his daughter around the gardens. The family parted, leaving the library quiet and (almost) empty.

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><p>Emile watched sadly as everyone left the library, and he was left alone. What he had just seen deeply touched him, and he didn't feel right letting Rhonwen out of his sight just then, so he decided to follow her as she accompanied her father to the garden. As she and Eugene sat in the center of the garden, talking in quiet voices, Emile sat silently on the other side of the hedge several yards away. Every so often he would peek over the hedge and steal a glance at Rhonwen, who was now wearing her hair in an elaborate twist around her shoulders and around her waist so it didn't drag on the ground, as he was sketching her in his notebook. He couldn't hear anything they were saying, but he relished the chance just to look at her.<p>

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><p>"So, you know that West Wing?" Eugene said to his daughter, as they sat in the garden together.<p>

"The one that's being renovated?" asked Rhonwen in return.

"Yeah, that one," Eugene said, looking over at the castle curiously, "Now, if my considerable architectural experience is correct, then that, right there, is the West Wing. From what I've been told there were significant structural infirmities and so it's unsafe to enter accept to a trained professional. But, if there really were that kind of problems with the structure, then you would be able to tell from the outside. Does it look infirm to you?"

"Not really," Rhonwen said, looking carefully at the wing her father was showing to her, "It looks old, like any other castle, but it's well maintained and looks pretty strong."

"Exactly," Eugene said excitedly, "Which only leaves one reason to deny access to guests. VIN-cent has something to hide."

"Dad," Rhonwen said uncomfortably, "I know what you're thinking, but that's not a good idea."

"Why not?" Eugene questioned, his voice raising a little in pitch but staying hushed, "It's always good to know everything about politicians and if VIN-cent has something to hide then it would be a great idea to find out what it is."

"We would be breaking a trust," Rhonwen said.

"Aww, VIN-cent doesn't trust me anyway," Eugene replied, "Plus that, it'll be just to two of us, exploring the unknown territory, father and daughter, master and apprentice!"

"What if we got caught sneaking in there? It would cause another international incident, not to mention make Vincent _really_ mad."

"That, my girl, is why we are not going to get caught!" replied Eugene brightly, "Your lack of faith in my sneaky skills offends me!"

"Dad, nobody ever _intends_ to get caught doing something they're not supposed to do," Rhonwen said.

"Well, I'm not just anybody; I am Eugene FitsHerbert, King of Ringdorn and formerly the world's greatest thief," said Eugene proudly, "We're not going to get caught. Come on, Kiddo, consider it practice for that great adventure you're going to have someday. What do you say?"

Eugene then leveled his very best Daddy-who-loves-you-and-wants-to-spend-time-with-you smolder, complete with quivering lip, at his daughter, and she managed to withstand it for only a couple of seconds before she gave in.

"What do you think he could be hiding?" asked Rhonwen curiously.

"Have you noticed that we haven't seen the prince yet?" he father asked in return.

"I noticed that, but I haven't really thought about it much," Rhonwen replied, "I asked Belle about that and she said he was staying in the country because he's unwell."

"He's what I think is hidden," Eugene said excitedly, "Couldn't you tell she was lying? I could, when I asked her the same question. But why would she lie unless there was some sort of secret surrounding him?"

"Come to think of it," Rhonwen said pensively, "It doesn't make much sense to send him away when I was coming. All they'd have to do is ask and I'd cure him."

Eugene was nodding enthusiastically now.

"I think they have him, or some evidence of the secret, hidden away in that West Wing."

"Okay, that's enough convincing, Dad," she said, the adventurous side of her smiling at the thought of it, "We're doing it tonight?"

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><p>It had been a long day, but Emile did not feel tired when the clock struck ten, which was his usual time to retire. He had not yet dressed himself for bed, but was sitting in his room on one of his favorite chairs and looking through his notes on from the day when he heard the door open and a small voice call out to him.<p>

"Monsieur?" said the little voice softly.

"Come in, Lucy," he sighed happily.

A small, animated candlestick bounced across the floor, into the room.

"I couldn't sleep, Monsieur," said little Lucy pitifully, "Could you read me a story?"

"Lucy," Emile chastised, as he did almost every night, "Why can't you ask your parents for a story?"

"Because Papa and Mama don't read as well as you do, Monsieur," said Lucy happily, knowing now that she would be allowed to stay, "Could you read me more of that story about the fairy child?"

Emile smiled and held his hand down for Lucy to climb onto. He lifted her up onto the nightstand, took the book she had mentioned from the nightstand drawer, and started to read by the light of the little candle's flame. They continued this way until Lumier, Lucy's father, knocked on the door and entered politely.

"Beg pardon, Monsieur," he said easily, "But I am afraid that I must reclaim my daughter. It is far past her bedtime."

"Awwww, Papa!" exclaimed little Lucy, "We were just about to get to the best part, I know it!"

"Do as your father says, Lucy," said Emile, smiling.

"Awwww, Monsieur!" she exclaimed again, "Could I not have five more minutes?"

"Now, Lucy," said Lumier more sternly and Lucy jumped down from the nightstand with a pout.

"Goodnight, Monsieur!" called the little voice reluctantly.

"Goodnight, Lucy," replied Emile, still smiling at the impulsive little thing.

Emile figured that it was getting late for him to be up as well and was about to start undressing when he heard another noise, this one far more unexpected. There was someone besides Lumier and Lucy in the hallway.

* * *

><p>Rhonwen and her father met in the sitting room of their suite. Rhonwen had dressed in lightweight black trousers, black soft bottomed shoes, and a black blouse, which her father had had made for her for use in these situations. She tied her hair, which was now braided into a rope thanks to her red haired handmaids, in a cross pattern around her shoulders and waist for easy movement and she carried a small frying pan, their national weapon, just to be safe. She expected her father to be dressed similarly, but was surprised to find him dressed in a fancy, dark red dressing gown and soft, wooly slippers. Seeing her questioning glance, he smirked roguishly.<p>

"Backup plan," he said mysteriously.

Rhonwen wondered what kind of backup plan could involve dressing like _that_, but she didn't question him further because he slipped out of the room directly after he spoke and they now found themselves treading silently through the castle, sneaking past all the inhabited rooms. Eventually, Eugene held out his hand to signal her to stop. They were at the West Wing. Rhonwen marveled at her father's sense of direction in getting them here in the dark, but remained silent as Eugene looked around to see if anyone was watching. He signaled the all clear and the odd pair made their way forward, stopping whenever they found adequate cover to look around for guards and be sure they weren't being followed.

Eventually Rhonwen and Eugene found their way to a large hallway, which seemed to lead up to a bedchamber. All of their ruffian's instincts told them that this room was what they were looking for and if they could get into it, they would find the secret. Eugene was about to motion that they go forward when the door opened and the headwaiter, Lumier, walked out, holding a candlestick in his hands. Rhonwen and Eugene grew very quiet and squeezed themselves into the corner, which was their best cover. Then both looked out at the servant and candlestick with wonder. The candlestick was moving!

"How many times must your mother and I tell you not to go and disturb the young Master so late at night," Lumier said, scolding the candlestick, who was making the talking sign sarcastically with one of the candles, which it moved like a hand.

"But, Papa," the candlestick answered pathetically, pretending she hadn't been sassing him a moment before, "Monsieur says it does not disturb him!"

The candlestick and Lumier were getting closer, and Rhonwen was sure that their cover wouldn't be enough to keep them from being discovered. She was about to turn and run for it, assuming her father would follow, but he just walked casually out of hiding, looking like he had just seen Lumier. Rhonwen watched in complete bewilderment and not a little alarm as he did so, wondering what he could be up to.

"Ah, good, a servant!" said Eugene enthusiastically, walking towards Lumier, "I was just trying to find my way to the kitchen for a midnight snack and I do believe I've gotten a little lost. Could you possibly… Guuuaaahhhh!"

Eugene jumped dramatically away from Lumier before the headwaiter could say a word, pretending to catch sight of the candlestick for the first time.

"That candle just moved! It just…just…" Eugene's eyes rolled melodramatically and he sighed and swooned into Lumier's arms in a fashion which would have been considered feminine if it wasn't so ridiculous.

The candlestick lit the hallway as Lumier dragged Eugene away, saying something about returning him to his room so he would think it was all a dream and thanking heaven for the "weak constitution" of royals. He was thus distracted and did not see Rhonwen as he dragged her father right past her and she restrained her laughter with every bit of will power she had. Her father would have been a star in any theater. She waited to the last trace of candlelight to fade behind a wall and continued to the mysterious room as quickly and silently as a shadow.

She carefully opened the door, peeking through the small crack before slipped through and closing it soundlessly behind her. She would have expected the room to be completely dark without any candles, but the moonlight shone through the window quite brightly, and though it did not illuminate all the shadows in the room she could see where everything was with a little effort. A little extra light was added by a glowing, floating rose that she saw hovering above a small table near the window, under a glass cover. She knew she should have found such a thing alarming, but after seeing a moving candlestick this seemed almost normal. Not to mention its beauty. She walked up to it silently, mesmerized by the gentle glow coming from it and reached out her right hand to touch the glass. That's when she heard a low, dark voice coming from directly behind her.

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><p>Emile hid in the shadows behind his wardrobe when he heard the strange voice in the hallway screaming like it had seen a ghost. It sounded like King Eugene, but he wasn't sure and didn't give it any more thought as he urgently tried to hide himself. Everything was silent for a few moments, and Emile considered coming out to find out what was going on, but froze when he heard too door of his bedroom open softly. He heard a few soft steps and thought that they were headed in the direction of his rose, which was a really bad sign. He opened the door slowly to see a black clad figure walking almost silently towards the window, eyes fixed on the rose. After a moment he recognized that it was Princess Rhonwen wearing black trousers with her hair tied around her shoulders and waist like a rope.<p>

He stepped out of the shadows and soundlessly followed her as she made her way carefully to the table. What was she doing in his room? And why was she wearing a bandit outfit? When she reached out her hand to touch the glass, Emile decided that he'd let this go on long enough. Slowly, so as not to be heard until he was ready, he crouched in the shadows behind his bed and threw his voice to sound like he was directly behind her.

"What are you doing here?"

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><p><strong>Aaaaaaaand cliff hanger! I'm evil!<strong>

**Yes, the red head handmaids are the little girls from the movie Tangled! I loved them too much to let them go. Rhonwen and Eugene are such snoops, gotta love them.**

**Please Review! I'm a review addict! Be my enablers!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Yay! The bottom of the cliff! Just kidding, I hope everyone loves this chapter and I can't wait to read all the reviews. (hint, hint) ;) ;)**

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><p>"What are you doing here?"<p>

Rhonwen jumped, then spun around to face whoever was behind her, frying pan in both hands. She was startled again to see the room looking as empty as it did before, with only shadows behind her.

"Who are you?" she asked the seemingly empty room, trying to sound unintimidated.

The room offered no reply and so she edged herself behind the table, aware that the window and the rose provided light sources which would enable her to see the mysterious shadow person before he could ambush her.

"You were told not to come here," the strange voice stated, sounding again like it was right behind her.

Rhonwen turned swiftly, bringing the frying pan around just as fast to pound whoever it was right on the head. She was disappointed to find that all she hit was empty air.

"Prince Emile?" she asked the darkness, again facing the shadowy room, "Nice trick of the voice, but if you're trying to scare me away it won't be that easy!"

"How did you find me?" the voice said, this time sounding like it came from the table.

"Ah!" said Rhonwen triumphantly, her eyes scanning the room, "So you are Prince Emile!"

The shadows were silent for a few moments. Then she saw movement from behind the bed. She brought the frying pan up to guard position and waited for him to move further, but he just stood there in the dark, seemingly watching her.

"What are you staring at?" she said, beginning to be unnerved.

"You," Emile replied simply, not moving an inch.

The two stood in silence for a moment, neither one moving. Finally, Rhonwen couldn't stand it anymore.

"Ok," she started, letting her pan drop a small bit to show her good intentions, "I think we've gotten off on the wrong foot."

"You can say that again," Emile replied.

"I'm Princess Rhonwen, of the…"

"I know who you are," Emile said, before she could go into her introduction, "I am a prince you know. I know the descriptions of the other dignitaries."

"Point made," said Rhonwen, letting the pan drop a little bit more.

"Plus that," Emile added, "Seventy feet of hair is rather…_distinctive_."

Rhonwen laughed at this, and the pan went casually down to her side.

"Ok, so now it's your turn," she said jauntily, smirking.

"You already know who I am," Emile replied, still not moving, "I'm Emile."

"Alright then, Emile," Rhonwen said, "So why are you hiding?"

"Because you're wielding a frying pan," Emile replied, "And I know how dangerous those things can be."

"Oh, no, that is such a cop out," Rhonwen exclaimed, an impatient look on her face, "I mean why you are living in a secluded area of the castle and denying your presence to the visiting dignitaries!"

"Oh, I see," said Emile sarcastically, "You should be more specific."

Rhonwen rolled her eyes and stared at him for a few moments. He just stood there silently. Eventually she lost patience again.

"Well?" she asked, beginning to sound irritated.

"Well what?" Emile replied, feigning innocence.

"Well, answer the question!"

Emile snickered and Rhonwen rolled her eyes. This was like trying to out talk her father.

"I stay here for my own safety," Emile said finally, apparently deciding to cooperate.

"Belle told me you were sick," Rhonwen said, stepping around to the side of the table in an attempt to see her conversation partner, "Is that true?"

Emile was silent for a moment.

"In a way," he replied.

"If it's true," Rhonwen said suspiciously, "Why are you hiding from me?"

Emile paused again. After what seemed to Rhonwen to be an eternity, he spoke again, in his deep gravelly voice.

"I'm not a pretty sight," he replied, sounding a bit ashamed and a bit defensive at the same time.

Rhonwen put her hand on her hip and blinked a little bit. _Not a pretty sight?_

"I've healed lepers," she said, going another step closer to the tentative prince, "I've seen all sorts of things which are not pretty sights. You're not going to scare me."

Emile paused again, this time thinking.

"Come into the light," Rhonwen coaxed.

Again the prince hesitated, probably because he was used to hiding if Rhonwen was reading him right. But before she could say anything else, she saw him move. He took one step. Then another. One more step and he would be fully visible.

Already Rhonwen could see that he was very different. He was enormous, for one, much larger than Augustine. And the way he moved was not quite natural, like some sort of animal. Though the greater part of him was obscured by the shadows, she could tell that his arms were very long and when he walked there was a strange lack of sound of the carpeted floor, as if his feet were padded or he was wearing soft shoes like her own.

He hesitated still further on this last step, and Rhonwen could sense that he was a bit afraid. Unexpectedly, he spoke again.

"You won't be afraid?" he said nervously, obviously needing reassurance.

"No, I promise, I won't be scared," she replied, trying to sound more sure than she was.

At this he paused for a minute, took a deep, audible breath, and then took the final step. He was truly more than she expected, but not what she would have called scary. Huge, yes. Animalistic, oh yes. Even potentially frightening. But there was something in his manner, a timidity, which removed the fear that he could have inspired. And his eyes. They were nervous and timid eyes of the deepest blue, and could never inspire fear. At least, not to Rhonwen. He must have seen her eyes widen in surprise, however, because he put up his hands in an instinctive gesture to prove he meant no harm.

"Don't," he said very nervously, "Freak out."

"Don't worry," Rhonwen replied, already recovered from her surprise, "I won't."

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><p>Emile tried to relax as Rhonwen stepped closer, looking him over more thoroughly. He was not at all comfortable around people he didn't know, and rarely had to be in that situation, so his heart felt like it was about ready to jump right out of his chest.<p>

"Come ever here," she said suddenly, moving towards the set of chairs he had been sitting in earlier, "Let's talk."

He would have gone right for the chairs, but he suddenly realized how hard it must be for her to see. He was used to the dark and his eyes were better addapted to it, but she would be used to having plenty of candles. He went over to his dresser and pulled out a couple of candlesticks.

"What are you doing?" she asked politely.

"Just lighting some candles for you," he replied, "I thought you might like a little light."

"That's really nice of you," she said, impressed, "Thanks! The dark _was_ starting to get to me."

"You're welcome," he said, moving over to the chair across from her after placing the candles on different surfaces in the room.

"So," she started, uncertain again.

"So," he said, just as nervous as she was.

"So," she began again, this time looking a little more confident, "Do you want to explain how…?"

"How I came to look like this?" Emile supplied, glad that the conversation was at least moving now.

Rhonwen nodded, looking apologetic. _She probably thinks she's offending me._

"Sure," he said, trying to sound confident.

"Ok," Rhonwen said, looking relieved.

"Well," he began awkwardly, "I guess you could say that it's a family thing."

She smiled a little at this and he was encouraged, so he went on with the story a little less hesitantly.

"When my father was young," he began, "He was also cursed like this. He was eleven, and he says he was a little spoiled, and so he sort of accidentally insulted a witch."

"Like what happened to Queen Aurora?" Rhonwen said, looking interested.

"Yes, kind of like that," he replied, "And he was given until his twenty-first birthday to undo to curse or else be like this forever."

As he said this he gestured to himself.

"I was born this way," he continued, "At least according to everyone who remembers."

"What about that talking candlestick I saw?" asked Rhonwen, her eyes lighting up with the memory.

"It seems that everyone born in the castle after me is turned into an inchanted household object right after they are born," replied Emile, glad to explain that the curse was not just his, "When my father was cursed all the household servants turned into knick knacks and common household things. The little candle your saw was Lucy, Lumier's youngest daughter."

"I see," Rhonwen said, looking sympathetic, "Are there any others?"

"Several," he replied, "They can only be turned back into humans by the curse being broken."

"That's too bad," Rhonwen said, then asked, "How do you undo the curse?"

"I can't tell you," he said, looking perplexed, "If I tell you how then I would be breaking the "rules" that the witch set down. It has to happen unintentionally, or naturally, at least on the part of the other person."

"Well that's unhelpful," she said in a frustrated way.

"I know, isn't it?" Emile said sarcastically.

"So you have until you turn twenty-one to reverse this thing?" Rhonwen asked.

"Uh, no," Emile replied hesitantly, "She kind of took off one year of mine."

"Why would she do that?" Rhonwen asked, puzzled.

"She really doesn't like my father," Emile stated simply.

"Oh," Rhonwen said, and then looked at him more closely, "I have an idea."

"What?" Emile asked, a little flustered by her scrutiny.

"I want to try using my hair," she said, untying the rope from around her waist, "I've ended some curses before for the people of my country. Maybe it can end yours!"

Emile's eyes widened. Could it be that simple? Could he be free by simply asking this girl to sing a song and touching her hair? It sounded too good to be true.

"Give me your hand," said Rhonwen abruptly, snapping him out of his reverie, "Let's see if it works!"

Emile obediently put his hand out across the table and Rhonwen began to wrap it in the hair/rope. Emile was somewhat flustered by how quickly things were moving, caught off guard by how easy her movements were around him. Some of the servants, who had known him all his life, were still not as comfortable around him as this girl appeared to be. He sat and watched her, awed.

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><p>Rhonwen finished wrapping the large, furred hand in her hair, hoping that her hair would work and that she wasn't getting his hopes up for nothing. He said he had been born with his curse, which troubled her because some of the curses she had seen had not been able to be cured because the people had been born with them. It was right in the words of her song; <em>bring back what once was mine.<em> If appearing human had never been a part of his life before, then she had doubts that her hair could do anything at all. Then again, there were the other words; _change the fates' design._ It might be able to do just that, and if she didn't try and it could have worked she would never forgive herself.

She looked at Emile to see his large blue eyes staring back at her, his expression a mixture of awe and apprehension.

"You ready?" she asked in order to warn him.

He sat a little taller in his chair.

"Ready," he said, sounding determined.

"Ok," she said, and sent up a quick mental prayer to the heavens before beginning her song.

"_Flower gleam and glow, Let you power shine. Make the clock reverse, Bring back what once was mine! Heal what has been hurt, Change the fates' design. Save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine! What once was mine!"_

Rhonwen watched Emile as her hair began to glow. Emile's eyes became huge as they followed the glow of the strands of roped hair wrapped around her, until his eyes finally came to rest on his hand. It seemed for a moment that something changed. There was a split second where Rhonwen could have sworn the fur grew shorter and when she sang the words _change the fates' design_ she could have sworn that the fingers peeking out of the hair became human. But, when the song ended, everything changed back to the way it was before, her powers only providing a glimpse of what might come, should the curse ever be broken.

Emile looked down at his hand, unwrapped the braid around it, and handed it back to her. She took it and looked into his eyes. They weren't blaming or angry, they were just sad.

"I suppose I'll have to break the curse the old fashioned way," he said, attempting to diffuse a potentially depressing situation.

"I'm sorry," Rhonwen said, still heartbroken that it didn't work.

"Don't be," Emile replied.

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><p><strong>Cookies to anyone who has the lines of theses two movies by heart like I do and can identify the lines in Emile and Rhonwen's dialouge that come right out of their movies. And yes, there are lines here from both movies! Mwahahahahaha!<strong>

**Review! Please! I need my weekly fix! **


	8. Chapter 8

**New chapter! And all the joy it brings! Review please! Please _please_ please _please_ please _please_ please _please_ please! That was really hard to type for a dislexic, so review and pay me for my effort!**

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><p>Emile and Rhonwen hesitated to speak, each a little more let down by the failure of Rhonwen's magic hair than they let on. Emile knew that it was too good to be true, that the curse would never let go of him that easily. He tried to cheer Rhonwen up though, because he could see this didn't happen often and she was at a loss.<p>

"How did you get the hair?" he asked casually, pretending he didn't know the story and interested in hearing her tell it.

"I'm sure you know my parents' story," Rhonwen replied, "After they got married they thought that the gift was gone; accept for my mother's magic tears which only work if the person is recently dead by something other than natural causes. They did their best to give away those tears in tiny bottles, which helped a lot of people, but they could not heal the cripples and terribly ill people of our kingdom."

At this she took out her own bottle of the magic tears, which she kept with her always.

"Then my mother found out she was pregnant," Rhonwen continued, "Everyone was very happy, of course, but my mother began to suspect that the baby had the gift because she would sing the song whenever she got morning sickness, out of habit, and it would get better. Then my brother and I were born and it was discovered that I did, indeed, have the gift. My brother didn't, his hair's dark red, but that's probably a good thing, since long hair like mine is a little girly."

Emile laughed at this, enjoying the story thoroughly. Rhonwen laughed with him.

"And so," she continued, "I use my gift to help my kingdom. Every Sunday I go out into a special, big room on the ground level of the castle, spread my hair out as far as it will go, and the poor and people with ailments are allowed inside. That's how I've come to cure lepers, like I said, because people with illnesses of all kinds come in there. Anyway, every time the room fills up with people, everyone touches a strand of my hair and I sing my song. I'll keep doing that for the rest of the day until the sun goes down, and then the rest of the crowd is told to return on the next Sunday."

"All that hair must be a little heavy," Emile observed after a little while.

"Actually, I don't even usually notice it," said Rhonwen, contemplating the end of her rope braid, "I guess I'm just used to it being there. And maybe it makes me stronger in order to carry it, who knows!"

"I would like to meet your brother someday," commented Emile, "If he's anything like you, I think I'll like him. Maybe when I get rid of this curse, right?"

"Yeah, maybe," said Rhonwen, looking thoughtful again, "Your curse probably isn't easy to deal with either."

"You could say that," Emile said, smiling a little, "In the Summer it's really hot and using silverware is rather difficult."

The two laughed at this for a little bit before continuing their conversation.

"I think you should meet my friends," Rhonwen said, revealing the reason for her pensive expression, "They would like you."

Emile's eyes widened and he quickly tried to think of some reason to say no.

"Ah, no, I'd probably scare them," he said as quickly as his mind supplied the excuse.

"No, you wouldn't," said Rhonwen predictably, "They all come from a past involving this sort of thing, they'll understand. They won't be scared if we don't take them by surprise."

"My father said I was not to show myself to anyone while the visitors were here," he said, trying to think of another excuse as soon as it came out, for he knew she would debate his as well.

"Your father doesn't have to know," Rhonwen said, smiling sneakily, "You can sneak into the library while we're in negotiations tomorrow. I'll let my friends know you're going to be there so nobody gets scared."

Finally, Emile broke down and told her the real reason he did not want to go.

"I'm not very good around people," he sighed, looking at her pleadingly.

"I'll help you," she replied instantly, "And nobody there is going to judge you. They're all really nice people. Well, accept Akram's brothers, and we'll make sure they aren't there."

"I don't know…"

"Don't you want to meet everyone?" Rhonwen asked.

She didn't know it, but she had just put her finger on the only thing keeping him from saying no directly. He _did_ want to meet everyone. He _did_ want to be a part of the group. He just didn't think he knew how. Finally, he came to a decision.

"Ok," he said quietly, "I'll be in the library when you come out. I'll be hiding, so you'll have to call me to come out, but I'll be there."

"Why will you be hiding?" she questioned.

"In case anyone comes into the library that we didn't plan for," he stated.

"Ok," Rhonwen replied, starting to get excited again, "That sound like a good idea. I'll call you when it's safe to come out and then you'll get to meet everyone! You'll like them a lot, I know it! Everyone is really nice, and you'll get such a kick out of Red and Augustine's constant flirting! Not to mention Edward and Dianna…"

Emile listened to her describe her friends with butterflies in his stomach. He was really going to meet these people. He was. What was he going to say?

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><p>Rhonwen prattled away happily about all her new friends, to whom she was going to introduce Emile the next day. She didn't know why, but it felt really good to do something for him, to get him out of these dark chambers and around other people. Maybe it was because she felt so bad that her hair didn't work.<p>

Suddenly, Emile turned, looking down the hallway with an expression of dread.

"What is it, Emile?" she said worriedly.

"Lumier is coming back!" he replied in a hushed voice, "Probably to tell me what all the noise was out there."

"Uh, oh," Rhonwen said, her expression and tone of voice mimicking his, "I have to get out of here!"

"Is there anywhere you can hide?" Emile said, standing a moving around the room in a panicked way, looking for a suitable place, "The shadows won't work; he'll already have seen the candlelight!"

"Grab my hair!" Rhonwen said, running towards the balcony, "You can hold it and I'll swing down into a suitably empty room. Just don't let go until I pull three times on the rope, ok?"

"I don't know if this is a good idea," Emile said hesitantly.

"Grab it!" Rhonwen said, shoving the end of her hair into his hand and unwinding the rest from around her body.

She then wrapped it in a loose loop around her waist and wrapped the extra hair around her arm. Without giving him any further warning she ducked off the balcony and he was forced to hold on to her, whether he liked it or not. She was grateful that he did, in fact, hold on and was not surprised that he was able to hold her weight as she swung down towards the nearest window. She used her soft shoes to land almost soundlessly against the stone wall of the castle and, using her hair like a mountain climbing rope with several large loops of extra rope in her left hand, peered in the window. Nobody was visible, though it looked like one of the rooms in a royal suite. She'd have to be careful not to wake anyone. She carefully unlatched the window and slipped in, letting go of a few loops of hair from her hand to give herself the extra rope needed. When she was inside, she pulled the rope three times, as they had discussed, and the rest of her hair came tumbling down. She pulled it up through the window and wrapped it around her body again.

She looked around and discovered that she was in the sitting room of royal suite belonging to Dianna's family. Wincing and hoping they were sound sleepers, she tip-toed out the front door of the suite, closed the door silently, and sighed in relief. She made her way carefully back to her own suite and was not at all surprised to see her father waiting for her on the sitting room sofa.

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><p>Emile nearly had a heart attack when Rhonwen shoved the hair rope into his hands and jumped off of his balcony. He grabbed the rope more firmly, afraid he was going to drop her, then relaxed when he discovered that her weight was not too much trouble for him to hold. Still a little frantic, he looked over the side of the balcony to see if he could see her, but she had already grabbed on to the wall below the balcony and so he could not.<p>

Just then Lumier knocked on the door and Emile turned around, holding the rope behind his back.

"Come in," he said, trying not to let his panic show in his voice.

Lumier came in and looked about the room suspiciously.

"Why are there candles lit in here at this hour, Monsieur?" he asked, looking at Emile queerly.

"Oh, no reason," Emile said, inwardly hoping that his excuse didn't sound too lame, "I was not tired and was in need of some light to read my notes."

"Your notes?" Lumier queried.

"Yes, on the negotiations," replied Emile nervously.

Just then the rope jerked slightly in his hand three times and Emile let it go with relief. The last evidence that Rhonwen had been here was gone.

"Why are you standing out here if you wanted to read your notes?" Lumier asked, now seeming amused.

"Needed some fresh air, that's all," Emile replied a little too quickly.

Lumier stared at him for a few moments and Emile began to feel very awkward. Finally something came to him to end this pause.

"What were all those strange noises out there?" Emile asked, guessing that they were Lumier's reason for checking on him.

"Oh, just a royal who wandered into the wrong part of the castle, Monsieur," said Lumier, apparently accepting the change in topic of conversation. Emile sighed silently in relief and allowed Lumier to tell him the story of the Ringdorn King who was where he should not have been. Inwardly, he wondered how Rhonwen managed to get through a window so fast.

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><p>"So?" Eugene asked excitedly as she walked in the door, "What happened? Did you get in alright?"<p>

"Yes, I did!" Rhonwen replied, equally excited.

"Well?" he asked, nearly jumping out of the chair with excitement, "What happened? Did you like my back up plan? What was inside?"

Rhonwen laughed at the multi-firing questions and held up a finger to tell him to slow down.

"I'll tell you everything," she stared, catching her breath after her speedy retreat and he recent laughter, "I got into the room and you were right! It was Prince Emile inside!"

"Yes, I knew it!" said her father excitedly, "And then?"

"Turns out," Rhonwen said, "He's under a curse. He was turned into a beast by an evil witch!"

"So that's why VIN-cent is hiding him!"

"Yes," she continued, talking very quickly, "I tried my hair but it didn't work and then the servant we saw came back and so I jumped out the window!"

"You did what?" he asked, looking at her incredulously, "How are you still alive?"

"I looped my hair around my waist, like this," she said, demonstrating how her makeshift harness worked, "And Emile held the other end! He's really strong!"

"Obviously!"

"So I swung down to the window under his balcony and then snuck back here," she finished, out of breath again.

"Who's window was that?" a familiar, female voice said from behind them.

The father and daughter pair both cringed identically. They turned slowly to see Rapunzel standing in the doorway between the bedroom and the sitting room, a sly oh-you-know-I-just-caught-you-red-handed smirk on her face. Eugene tried the charming card first, as usual.

"Hello darling," he said, smiling at her, "Just how long have you been standing at that door?"

"Long enough to know that both of you are in big trouble," Rapunzel replied, smiling at both of them, "Meddling in the private affairs of our fellow royals are we?"

Rapunzel winked at them to know that she wasn't seriously angry, but only a little amused. The two visually relaxed and Rhonwen began to recount the tale in more detail. She conveniently left out the part about disobeying his father's direct orders and sneaking him into the library to meet her friends. They were naturally interested in the story anyway. When she finally finished, Eugene turned to Rapunzel with a sly smirk.

"And you thought it was a bad idea," he teased.

"Only because it was you who thought of it," replied Rapunzel, just as teasingly.

Rhonwen paused a minute in surprise.

"Wait a minute!" she said, looking at both her parents in confusion, "She knew you were going to do this?"

"Of course I knew," Rapunzel replied, smiling at her daughter, "He would never do something like that without at least telling me, would you Eugene?"

Eugene just pretended to notice something interesting on the ceiling. Rapunzel smacked his shoulder playfully and the two of them set into a bout of witty banter. Rhonwen waited patiently, happily watching her parents' spar, until they were finished and returned their attention to the matter at hand.

"What should we do now?" asked Rhonwen.

"We should get some sleep," Rapunzel replied, eyeing her daughter and husband playfully, "We have a long day of rough negotiations tomorrow."

Eugene gagged and Rhonwen giggled. As her parents went towards their rooms she went to hers and dressed for bed. She lay awake in bed half the night anticipating seeing everyone again tomorrow, and introducing them to her newest friend.

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><p><strong>And (drum roll please) get ready for the major plot line to begin!<strong> **It's story time!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Yay for new chapters on time! I'm really doing good with this! **

**Review! Please, I beg of thee! For all the world is a fanfic, and the air I brethe is reviews! Ok, maybe not that bad, but you get my drift.**

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><p>Emile woke up earlier than he had before, even for the last few days, on the morning after his encounter with Rhonwen. That is to say, he went to sleep a great deal later and woke up a great deal earlier, so he did very little sleeping at all. His mind was numb with excitement and apprehension, and thoughts were swirling chaotically in his mind, making peaceful rest impossible.<p>

So he was up, dressed, and groomed very early indeed, even before the servants who were to bring his breakfast like the day before had a chance to move. He left a note, telling them that he was not interested in breakfast that morning, and helped himself to some cold meat from the kitchen. Then he hurried to the hidden room in the Negotiation Hall and waited for everyone else to wake up, writing in his journal to occupy his time.

_So today is the day. Today I'm going to meet all the other interesting princes and princesses (by interesting I mean the ones who are here and who aren't jerks) and they are going to meet me. I confess, I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to say to them. I mean, what will they say? How can I know what I should say if I don't know what they're going to say? _

_At least Rhonwen will be there. She looks like she's comfortable talking to the others, and so maybe she can show me how. I hope I don't seem too pathetic to her. She must be used to talking to all kinds of people, from the lowliest peasant to the most exalted crown prince. And look at me, a crown prince who can't seem to remove his foot from his mouth. How will I ever be able to rule a country if I can't even speak to other people without having a heart attack? Yes, this is definitely a necessary experience for me. I just hope Father doesn't get too mad. _

_The strangest thing is, I'm not really nervous around Rhonwen like I am around other people. I mean, she seems like she can understand what I'm saying even when I sound really dumb and that kind calms me down. I even made her laugh once or twice. But I don't think it will be the same with the others. Rhonwen is just so open and non-judgmental. Are the others like that? Will I be able to talk to them as easily as I talk to her? Not for a while at least. _

Here Emile paused, thinking about the first time they had spoken. He hadn't been introverted at all then, especially when he was hiding in the shadows.

_Maybe that's just it. I'm really brave and daring when I get to talk to someone who doesn't know where I am. But even after she saw me she was just so…so unafraid. Not really brave, just not scared. And that made me feel secure, so I wasn't stumbling around her as much as I do around other people who don't know me well. I remember when we hired that new maid when I was five who screamed when she first saw me. And, I don't know, ever since then new people have scared me. It took me months to let that maid see me again. But with Rhonwen I was only scared for two seconds, and then I was almost comfortable. _

Emile paused in his writing when he heard someone open the door to the Hall. He peered out through the vent to see none other than the person he had just been writing about, Princess Rhonwen. She was walking around, trying to look casual, but at the same time her eyes were searching every corner of the room, like she was looking for someone.

_Could she be looking for me?_

No longer able to stand just watching her, Emile looked around to be sure they were alone and then made a psst sound through the vent. She straitened immediately and looked in his direction, looking at the vent with a puzzled face. He made another psst, and she walked toward the vent excitedly.

"Emile?" she said, her voice light, "Is that you in there?"

"Yes," he replied softly, "It's me."

"How'd you get in there?" she asked, ever inquisitive.

"Sorry," he replied sarcastically, "Trade secret."

Rhonwen laugh melodically at this, making him smile just by hearing her.

"So that's how you know so much about everyone," she said happily, "Have you been spying on us the entire time?"

"I wouldn't call it spying," he replied, "Just friendly surveillance on my allies."

"Oh," said Rhonwen sardonically, "Of course. That's much less invasive."

"Hey," Emile said, smiling jauntily himself, "Look at the pot call the kettle black! Who was invading bedrooms last night anyway?"

Rhonwen laughed again.

"Ok, Prince Surveillance," she replied at last, "Just be careful not to get caught. You know the plan right?"

"I think so," Emile answered steadily, "I hide in the library before you guys get there and you bring all you friends in after negotiations."

"Good," Rhonwen replied, smiling, "I'll pass notes to everyone to let them know what's going on so that they aren't too surprised. I'll make sure nobody says a word about the plan out loud until we're all in the library, doors closed. When I come in I'll make sure the cost is clear for you to come out, and if it is I'll whistle to you as a signal, ok?"

"Ok then," Emile said, "I'll see you there."

"See you then," Rhonwen said excitedly.

After this exchange Rhonwen quickly but casually made her way out of the Hall to go to breakfast and Emile was left alone again, twice as nervous and excited as he was before.

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><p>Negotiations were going to be unbearably long for Rhonwen that day, she could tell already. And they hadn't even really begun yet! Red's family was just sitting down, as they were the last to arrive, and already Rhonwen was impatient for this to be over.<p>

Red, who was sitting across from her again, was staring over at her curiously and making a writing motion with her hand to ask for an explanatory note. Obviously she could already tell that something was up. Rhonwen smiled and scribbled out a note to Red.

_Won't you get your pencil taken away again if you send _notes_?_ Rhonwen asked.

_Won't do any good this time, _replied Red, smirking as she wrote, _I've got about ten extras hidden in my corsette._

Rhonwen smiled, thinking about Red discreetly putting pencils in the bosom of her dress all morning. She wrote out a note explaining what she was so excited about, and Red replied that she would love to meet him as long as he was nothing like Augustine. Rhonwen had to snicker at this. Even after his incident in the library Red wouldn't just admit to herself that she liked him already.

The girls soon heard the tell tale scuttling of the crab and both smiled a little as Melody joined the conversation. The crab came to Rhonwen.

_What's so exciting over there? _it said.

Rhonwen wrote an explanatory note to Melody, telling her to pass on the news to Akram, Edward, and Dianna, since she was the closest to them and could easily pass the notes by hand, and then she wrote out a note to Augustine herself. The next time the crab came around it was bearing four notes, from Melody and all the others. Rhonwen took them and sent the crab over to Augustine with her note to him. As she suspected a note came quickly back to her from him as well.

_How did you find him? _From Melody.

_What does he look like? Gruesome?_ Asked Akram and Rhonwen smiled as she pictured his look of boyish fascination at the thought of something disgusting.

_Is he a pleasant gentleman? _Asked Edward, with his usual good manners.

_Is he very large or threatening in any way? _Came from timid Dianna.

And finally Augustine's note.

_I'm game. _It said simply.

Rhonwen did her best to answer these and other related notes from her friends in one note which could be passed from friend to friend, trying to satisfy their curiosity while building upon it at the same time. She explained that, while he was certainly different looking, there was a gentle way about him. She hoped that comforted Dianna while interesting Akram at the same time. She explained how they came to meet and that he was very genteel. And she told them all not to mention anything about him or the plan to meet him in the library until they were behind closed library doors. Now all they had to do was wait for the meeting to be over so the real day could begin.

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><p>Emile watched the minutes tick by as the negotiations went on and on. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of watching, the royals from each party stood and began their ending speeches, and Emile quickly made his way to the library. He opened the large doors and ran to the right corner of the wall nearest to the door. The shelves here, like everywhere else in the library, were rounded at the corner of the room to give the library a more graceful appearance. But unlike the other corners, this corner had a triangular room about the size of a large closet behind the shelves. It was in this room that he had witnessed Rhonwen using her hair to cure Augustine, and now he was going to hide in it until she gave the signal that the coast was clear. Emile sat on the small chair he had brought into the room, shut the shelves in front of him to hide himself, and waited to the others to arrive.<p>

He did not have to wait long, as they entered the room uncharacteristically quietly almost immediately after he had done this. Rhonwen was at the lead, followed by Augustine, Red, Melody, Akram, Edward, and Dianna. Rhonwen held to door open as the others slipped through, then closed it tightly behind them. After pausing for a few moments, Rhonwen whistled the signal and Emile smiled. He was glad that Henri wasn't here, because the sight of him coming to the sound of a whistle would give him license to use the nickname Fido for the rest of eternity. He opened the door slowly, closed it behind him out of the force of habit, and froze when everyone saw him.

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><p>Rhonwen made sure everyone was inside to door before closing it quickly. She looked around the room, met each of her friends' eyes to be sure they were ready, and then whistled to Emile.<p>

At first nothing happened. Then the shelves in the corner closest to the door slowly swung open and Emile stepped out. The room was incredibly silent for a moment. Dianna's eyes had widened to a huge size and she was clinging to Edward in a frightened way. Edward was trying his very best to look comforting and protective to Dianna and friendly to Emile at once, succeeding only in looking as endearingly cheesy as usual. Akram was staring with a look of undisguised fascination, and Melody almost matched his look of curiosity. Augustine had unconsciously stepped a little bit in front of Red, instinctively trying to protect her, and Red was glaring up at him venomously, as she understood what he was doing and wanted none of it.

Rhonwen looked over at Emile and smiled, hoping to encourage him. The poor thing looked terrified. Eventually, she could not stand the silence anymore and so she walked over to stand at Emile's side and turned back to her friends.

"Guys, this is Emile," she said, trying to sound strong and sure of herself, "Emile, meet Dianna, Edward, Red, Melody, Akram, and Augustine."

This seemed to snap everyone back into their normal selves, one at a time, and they all began to greet Emile enthusiastically. When Edward began his customary introduction speech, usually followed by an epic poem about his love for his fiancé, everyone groaned audibly and Rhonwen smiled. Emile was now part of the group.

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><p><strong>And Emile is finally out in the open, meeting the other young royals! Three cheers for Edward and his cheesy ways!<strong>

**And stay tuned for the next chapter. It's coming soon! **


	10. Chapter 10

**Next chapter in the house! **

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><p>After everyone greeted Emile they all migrated towards the large set of pale blue sofas that Belle had made the servants bring to the library before the visitors arrived for their usage. Emile, not knowing what else to do, walked over with them, and sat at the very edge of one of the sofas at a comfortable distance from the rest of the crowd. They all seemed curious, but nobody was asking any questions and all the polite silence was beginning to make him nervous again. He looked over at Rhonwen pleadingly, asking her what to do with his eyes. She blinked at him and then broke the silence.<p>

"So Emile," she said confidently, "What did you think of the negotiations today?"

"Well, compared to the thought of meeting everyone, they were incredibly boring," he answered gratefully, and everyone seemed to relax a bit.

"Yeah, they're boring all the time," said Red obnoxiously, signaling the end of all polite formality.

"I honestly wish I didn't have to go to all of them," Melody said morosely, "Being a crown princess can be incredibly tedious sometimes."

"I agree," said Augustine.

"About being a crown princess?" asked Red mockingly.

"Oh, no, the male equivalent of course," he replied, smiling, then looking to Emile he said, "So Emile, you were cursed by a witch huh?"

"Well, sort of," Emile replied sheepishly, "I inherited the curse from my father. He was cursed by a witch."

"Ah," said Augustine understandingly, "Same way with me. My mother passed part of a sleeping curse on to me so I just fall asleep with no prior warning. It's a pain. So how do you break the curse?"

"Well," Emile said pensively, "I meet the near impossible and incredibly picky conditions set by the witch. Or I find the witch and kill her."

The last part about killing the witch had been intended as a sarcastic joke, but Edward, the mighty hunter, seemed to take to the idea.

"Hunt down the witch eh?" he asked, leaning forward in his chair with interest, "How would you find her? Do you have her description?"

"She can change forms," said Emile unenthusiastically, "No telling how many disguises she has. Trust me, in the summer when I'm baking under all this fur, I've thought of killing her many, many times."

"I'm sure," said Red, smiling broadly.

"What did she look like when you saw her?" Melody asked curiously.

"I've never seen her," answered Emile, "But my father said that when he first saw her she looked like an old hag. Then, when he was rude to her, she changed into a beautiful, tall, blond woman with green eyes."

"Wait," said Red, suddenly becoming more interested, "My mother's evil step mother was tall and blond with green eyes. Mom say's you never saw her hair after she was married because he always wore a tight black hood, which was the fashion for married women in our country then. But she was blond."

"That's an interesting coincidence," said Emile.

"Yes, it is, especially since my step grandmother was a witch who also used the disguise of an old hag," replied Red, revealing the reason for her interest.

This caused a pause in the conversation, as everyone began to think about the coincidence seriously.

"Could they possibly have been the same witch?" Akram asked skeptically, "I mean your two kingdoms are close to each other but not that close. It could have been two completely different people."

"It probably was a different witch," said Emile, not wanting to assume.

"But it might not have been," replied Red, smiling, "She could have been the same one. Tell me, when was your father cursed?"

"When he was eleven," replied Emile, "Which would have been a little over thirty years ago now. Why?"

"My Grandfather married Grimhilde, the witch, about twenty eight years ago!" replied Red triumphantly, "She could have traveled through your kingdom three times by then! So she could have been the same one."

"A witch with green eyes and blond hair," added Melody pensively, "I think I remember my Grandfather telling me about a witch like that once."

"And I can remember reading a book which mentioned her," added Dianna, surprising everyone by speaking after staying silent for so long.

"What book was it?" asked Emile curiously.

Dianna turned a bit pink and her eyes widened at all the sudden attention from Emile, but eventually she worked up the courage to answer.

"The Odyssey," she said quietly, biting her lip.

Emile rose and started to search the "O" section of the library for the book, relieved to have excuse to separate himself from the others, while they continued to talk about the witch.

"Red, didn't…?" Augustine started to ask.

He was interrupted by the loud and unexpected arrival of new parties, as the library door banged open. Everyone jumped, and Emile crouched down in the balcony, glad that he was high up as it might prevent them noticing him. He was also glad that he had closed the door. A secret room would have proved interesting to these new parties no doubt, as they had been rude in every other way, so snooping would be pleasant by comparison. Yes, the new people in the room were exactly the ones that everyone had been hoping to avoid. Akram's older brothers who had cause the trouble yesterday were back again, this time with two other brothers in tow, and the red parrot, Iago, flew in behind them.

"Hey everyone!" shouted Ahmed abrasively, voice heavy with false sincerity, "I'm glad to see you all again! Allow me to introduce my brothers, Ala' and Akif. Of course you know Adnan and Afeef!"

The two unfamiliar brothers bowed sarcastically, smiling as they stood up. The other three just continued to smilingly glare at the gathering before them. As they started to walk forward, Augustine and Edward stood up, going to meet them. Akram stood and quickly caught up with the other boys, thought he did not seem as intent as they did, and stayed just a step behind them. Red and Melody stood too, although this time Melody wisely kept them from getting too close to the rude boys as Red would undoubtedly punch one of them if they did to repay them for their previous rude behavior. Dianna looked frightened, and Rhonwen went over to her to provide some comfort.

"You should leave now," Augustine stated calmly, though there was a subtle menace in his voice, "You are not welcome."

"Now, you see, I find that rather rude," Ahmed said, smiling up at him, "Everyone should be welcome in the library."

"Well, I dare say you are not, so you should leave before we are forced to evacuate you ourselves!" Edward said haughtily.

The boys laughed at his queer, cheesy threat, and some of them responded similarly to him but Ahmed continued to stare at Augustine. The tension in the air could be cut with a knife.

"You got me in some serious trouble with your little fainting spell," Ahmed said, his smile shrinking for the first time, "My old man reamed me, said it could have been labeled as an international incident."

"Just think of how much trouble you'll be in if you start a fight now," Augustine said reasonably, straitening a little more despite his verbal attempts at peacemaking.

"Who said anything about me starting a fight?" Ahmed said, looking back at the other boys, "Did I say anything about starting a fight?"

The other boys shook their head, grinning, and the crown prince continued on.

"No, Swoony, I never said anything about starting a fight," said Ahmed triumphantly, "But you might."

At this he pushed Augustine a little bit, barely enough to move him and certainly not enough to push him down. It accomplished its intended purpose, though, as the barrier had been broken. Emile stared down from the balcony, his fur spiking up and his teeth instinctively baring. If only he could do something!

"I wouldn't recommend doing that again," Augustine said, clenching his fists.

"Yes," Edward added, mirroring Augustine, "I had had the best of combat training, as my friend undoubtedly has as well. Not to mention the obvious difference in size and strength."

The brothers blinked and stared up at Edward unbelievingly. He had somehow managed to sound both threatening and polite at once, not to mention he swung a low blow talking about the height difference. Akram looked a little nervous and started to talk to Ahmed in Arabic, most likely trying to calm the situation down.

"It's rude to speak in a language nobody else knows, little brother," Ahmed said, glaring at Akram, "Want to say that again, in English this time?"

Akram's eyes widened, and he looked to his friends. They all stared back at him curiously.

"Fine," he replied after a while, his friends giving him courage, "I said you should get out of here, before someone gets hurt!"

"And you're thinking that someone will be me, right?" Ahmed said, any trace of a smile disappearing as his bravado took full control.

"A lot of people could get hurt in the fight you're aiming for, Ahmed," Akram replied, stepping out in front of the other two boys, "And I'm pretty sure that someone would hurt you before it finished!"

Ahmed wasted no time. As soon as Akram stopped talking, he grabbed him by the shoulders and shoved him into the arms of Ala'. Ala' confidently put his younger brother in a headlock and Ahmed returned to his talk with Augustine. Emile's muscles tensed again when the bullied Akram, and again he wished there was something he could do. He couldn't reveal himself to them, because that would really get him in trouble, yet it was torture to watch his friends being threatened and bullied without moving at all. Unfortunately, because of his attention on the prospective fight going on, Emile had forgotten the bird.

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><p>Iago had been flying around the castle, exploring a little bit, and he had come across some of the royal boys. He followed them for a little while, but lost interest when he flew into the library, as it was a large opens space with a lot of nooks and crannies. He had been watching the boys in their little spat, and chuckling when someone said something amusingly vemomous, but they did this so often that it was no longer as interesting as it seemed. The strange scent in the air, however, was very interesting.<p>

Iago flew through the library, looking for the source of the smell, and found that enormous wolf who had imprisoned him earlier. He smiled with delight. Revenge!

Landing of a low bookshelf below him, being careful not to be seen, and Iago started to yell frantically, waving his red wings and pointing up at the wolf.

"AHMED! AHMED!" he shouted, "THE GIANT WOLF IS SITTING ON THE BALCONY RIGHT ABOVE ME!"

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><p>Rhonwen's heart caught in her throat when she heard to bird scream, and, like everyone else in the room, she instinctively looked in the direction of the sound. Emile was indeed on the balcony, looking startled and a bit afraid, but that didn't last long. Standing and grabbing the railing, he sung down the ladder and grabbed at that bird. Rhonwen rather hoped he would get it, but he missed and it continued to squawk loudly, now flying high above all their heads.<p>

All of the brothers were now looking at Emile, eyes wide and mouths open. Akram used the opportunity to step on his brother's foot, and Ala' let him go with a shout. However, nobody seemed interested in Akram anymore, not even Ala' after the moment he let him go. They were all staring at Emile.

Rhonwen thought on her feet and ran to close the door, trapping the bird inside to prevent the news from spreading. Shutting it behind the boys, she turned around, her back to the door. Nothing had changed, and the room was silent. Rhonwen signaled to Augustine to stand in front of the door, which both he and Edward did. Then she carefully stepped around the brothers, who were still too awed to move, and ran over to Emile. He was frozen again, his eyes very wide.

"Come with me," she said simply, pulling on his arm.

His expression did not change but he did as she asked, and followed her as she led him towards the others. She was a trained diplomat, and she could see that the situation would turn out very badly if something wasn't done to resolve or explain it. These boys would surely go, tell everyone they knew about him, and possibly even try to eliminate the threat he presented if she did not succeed.

"Prince Ahmed," she said softly, when she and Emile had gotten close enough that he could hear her, "This is Prince Emile."

Ahmed, predictably, turned to the door to try to run, as did all of his brothers besides Akram, but was met by Edward and Augustine blocking the way.

"Get out of the way!" he said frantically, his bravado giving way to his sense of self preservation, "Are you crazy?"

"Listen to her," Augustine said gruffly, returning his gaze to Rhonwen in hopes that the frightened Ahmed would do similarly.

Ahmed turned back around quickly, looking terrified. The other brothers had retreated to the right corner of the room, and bore the same expression of dread.

"This is Emile," Rhonwen said again, this time a little louder to gain their attention, "He's the heir to this kingdom's throne. He's a _friend_."

She added extra emphasis to the last word, trying to win their confidence. It worked a little bit, as their body language calmed a little bit. They were no longer rigidly strait and the facial expression had changed from complete horror to a mixture of fear and curiosity. Rhonwen sighed with relief. They could salvage the situation now.

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><p><strong>And the chapter has left the building! <strong>**Please review, I die to know what my readers think!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Another new chapter! Another new week! Another new group of reviews! [Large group I hope! ;)]**

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><p>Emile reluctantly followed Rhonwen as she guided him over to the sofa, never losing eye contact with Ahmed. If his father found out about this his goose was cooked.<p>

"Everyone come here and sit down, we have a lot to talk about," Rhonwen said in a gentle yet queerly commanding voice.

The brothers all looked back and forth to one another, and Ahmed took a step forward, evidently making the choice to listen to Rhonwen. Again, like in the past, the others listened to Ahmed's unspoken orders and followed him over to the sofa, though none of them were quite brave enough to sit down. Edward, Akram, and Augustine stood a comfortable distance behind them, still wary that they might try to run, and all the girls besides Rhonwen gathered on one of the larger sofas. Ahmed sat down at the very edge of the sofa across from Rhonwen and Emile, not taking his eyes off of them as he did so.

"Emile," said Rhonwen in a very controlled and formal tone, "Would you like me to introduce you to these princes from Agrabah?"

Emile nodded, still too nervous to say anything out loud. His eyes quickly flashed from Rhonwen to Ahmed and back, and his neck fur was spiked in apprehension.

"Alright then," she said, her voice giving no hint that she was at all nervous with this awkward situation, "The one that is sitting in front of us is Crown Prince Ahmed, and his brothers over there are princes Afeef, Ala', Akif, and Adnan, respectively."

Each of the brothers gave a small, nervous head bob when their name was stated. It was clear that curiosity was taking over for fear in their minds, as they had slowly begun to migrate closer and Ahmed was now seated more comfortably.

"Gentlemen," Rhonwen continued, still seeming flawlessly calm, "This is Crown Prince Emile. He, like I said before, is due to inherit this kingdom."

Emile nodded to them, but was startled to feel Rhonwen's elbow poking his ribs. He looked down to see her looking back at him, mouthing to him to say something.

"I…eh…" he started, his fur bristling again, "I'm very pleased…to meet you?"

He didn't intend to end that as a question, but it came out that way all the same. He fidgeted for a few seconds, and looked to Rhonwen a few times for direction, but she continued to look at Ahmed, as if waiting for his reply. Ahmed cleared his throat and spoke up.

"Good to meet you too," he said, sounding a bit unsure but doing a better job hiding it than Emile had.

Emile was afraid that the conversation would fall into awkward silence again like it had with the others, but apparently Rhonwen was prepared for that this time.

"Emile was cursed when he was young, which is why he looks the way he does," she said, looking to Emile, "Would you like to explain how it happened?"

"Um, well," he started again, still uncertain of his footing in this new terrain, "My father was cursed when he was young, and it passed on to me even thought his cursed was broken."

The other boys hesitated for a little bit before speaking, but curiosity got the better of them.

"Are you like a werewolf?" asked Afeef, stepping forward a little bit.

"No, I'm not a werewolf," replied Emile, "I am in full intelligent control of everything I do, and I don't transform into a man unless I break the curse."

"How did it pass to you if he broke it before you were born?" asked Ahmed curiously.

"I don't really know," Emile said, still very nervous but at least now capable of speech, "I think it's just because the witch really hates my father."

"Do you get fleas?" asked Akif, cracking all the other brothers up.

"I don't know, do you?" Emile said back, amazing himself by his own courage.

The other boys laughed, and the brothers chuckled. Red's snorting laugh and a high pitch squeaking which seemed to emanate from Dianna soon brought the room to some level of comfort again, as Akram illustrated by returning to his seat. The other brothers all sat down and started to ask so many questions that Emile was flustered in a completely different way than before, and eventually even Edward and Augustine sat back down, though they never really relaxed with the other boys so near.

"ALRIGHT, HOLD YOUR HORSES!" an irritating voice suddenly said, "THIS GUY HELD ME PRISONER YESTERDAY AND THREATENED MY LIFE! A PRINCE? NOT BUYING IT!"

"Iago," Ahmed said laughingly, "When we were young we used to sneak up on you and pull your feathers to make toys. Not to mention, he's not the first one to threaten your annoying life. Shut your beak, or I'll find some string and shut it for you!"

Iago blinked and made a rather hilarious scowl of wounded birdie pride.

"WELL! I'VE NEVER BEEN SO OFFENDED IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!" he said in a pathetic voice, then few up to the highest shelf in the library and sulked.

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><p>Rhonwen was rather pleased so far with the way things were playing out, and now she had a good example for her father to show diplomacy can be better than violence sometimes to solve a difference, even if it isn't as fun.<p>

"So, Emile," said Ahmed after a short laugh at the feathered pestilence's tantrum, "What were you guys doing in here before we came in?"

"What business is that of yours?" asked Red, her face quickly changing from calm and almost happy to irritated and ready for a fight.

"Hey, doll," said Ahmed, looking at her with a mixture of amusement and annoyance, "I asked him not you. And it's only a simple question, nothing to twist your bloomers over."

"Oh trust me," she said, turning away from him coldly, "You have absolutely no effect on my bloomers."

The other brothers laughed a little and Ahmed turned a bit darker color in the face, but after a moment he restated his question to Emile and Red didn't find any point in stopping him this time. Emile looked around to the others, and seeing no objections in their faces, he turned back to Ahmed.

"Well, we were talking about possibilities for the identity of the witch," he said, a little nervously.

"Really?" Ala' asked, looking intrigued, "Got anything that looks promising?"

"Well…" Emile began, but was cut off by Melody.

"We were thinking of witches from literature, who could have done what this witch did and had a similar description," she said simply, "Know of any literary witches who can change forms, turned people into animals, and have blond hair and green eyes?"

The boys stared at her for a few moments before shrugging their shoulders.

"Yeah, didn't think so," said Red smugly, "Don't think these ones are really the literary kind, Mel."

Augustine snorted amusedly and Edward grinned from the loveseat where he and Dianna sat. Melody and Rhonwen both looked a little worried that the situation would diminish back to irritated bickering and Emile shared their concern. Akram had a queer look on his face, and it was evident to anyone who looked at him that he felt he was caught between a rock and a hard place. After a moment, to everyone's surprise, Ahmed smiled.

"You're right," he said, "I'm not really the intellectual type. I only read what I have to in order to rule my country one day. Other than that, I'm more interested in physical pursuits."

Red turned a deep shade of crimson and turned away from him again. Ahmed smirked. That is, he smirked until he saw Augustine sit up a little straighter.

"Do not speak to my fiancé that way," Augustine said, in no uncertain terms. Red glared at him for taking charge of her fight again, but Augustine didn't seem to notice.

"Fiancé?" Ahmed asked, his eyes widening, "Now I get what you problem was! I won't hit on her any more, all you had to do was tell me she already belonged to someone else."

A silence took the room as everyone felt about as awkward as they ever had. Both Red and Augustine were rather red in the face at that moment in time, and everyone else, besides the offender, turned a shade of pink. Everyone, that is, accept Akram, who turned more of a purplish color, the other brothers, who didn't understand how inappropriate the remark was, and Emile, whose embarrassment showed through raised neck fur instead. Red started to sputter, and it was clear that she was trying to formulate a remark through her fury, but her brain needed time to reboot. After a moment she stopped sputtering, looked down, took a deep breath, then glared back up at Ahmed in a way that would make any man cringe, bravado or not.

"I do not belong to anyone!" she said wrathfully, "And if you don't watch your foul little mouth I'll slap it right off you face!"

Ahmed stared gapingly at her for a few moments before his bravado kicked back into control. He stood up and stepped closer to Red, smirking.

"You need someone to show you your place, woman," he said, trying to make his voice sound rich and seductive, "I'd be happy to do the honors."

At this Augustine shot up from his chair and was at his side in a heartbeat, but it didn't even take that long for Red's hand to dart out and impact with Ahmed's face with a resounding _SLAP_! And, before Augustine or Red could do anything at all about it, Ahmed struck back, a heavy downward slap to the face which drove Red to the floor. Justly enraged, Augustine stepped forward and initiated the fight which had been so long anticipated by them all.

"Get away from her now!" said Augustine, grabbing the smaller boy's shirt with his left hand and pulling the right hand back, "Or so help me I will hit you so hard that you and all your grandchildren will find yourselves in the next century!"

"Get your hands off of me!" Ahmed said in a threatening voice.

"And if I don't?" said Augustine through bared teeth.

Ahmed didn't answer with words, but simply punched Augustine in the stomach. Augustine returned the blow to Ahmed stomach and the two of them began to roll around on the floor in an intense grappling match. Ahmed's brothers, with the acceptation of Akram, all began to cheer for their brother, and yell Fight! Fight! in a boyish manner. Edward, Emile, and Akram all stood close to the fight, waiting to see if Augustine needed anyone to intervene. Melody, Dianna, and Rhonwen all looked on with worried expressions, and Red, quickly recovered from the hit she took, was openly encouraging Augustine to, "Punch him in the gut! Sit on him! Make him go through the rest of him life with the nickname pancake face!"

The boys rolled to and fro, bumping up against the furniture here, bashing into a wall there, and eventually making their way closer and closer to the doors. Augustine finally found a good maneuver and pinned Ahmed to the ground, planning to get the other boys to help him hold his opponent while they transported him to some sort of thorny bush. This promising idea was interrupted, however, by the sudden rolling of his eyes as Augustine fell asleep and freed Ahmed from any tight grip.

Ahmed pushed him off and their positions were reversed, accept Augustine was unconscious and Ahmed was spiteful. Before anyone could do a thing about it Ahmed had punched Augustine's sleeping face a good five or six times. The other brothers began laughing and Akram started yelling at them in Arabic while Emile and Edward pulled Ahmed off of Augustine. Emile lifted Augustine up by his shirt and was about to ream him in a very loud voice, even for Emile, when the unexpected and terribly unfortunate happened. The door opened, to reveal King Eugene, Queen Aurora, King Aladdin, and, worst of all, Emile's father. This was definitely not good.

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><p><strong>And finally someone confronts Ahmed and gives him the licking we all hoped for! Review, I always love to hear your reactions to dramatic chapters!<strong>


	12. Chapter 12

**Now, for what you've all been waiting for! (drum roll please) The resolution of the last chapter's cliffhanger! Ta Da!**

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><p>Emile's heart caught in his throat when his father's eyes met his. Now he was in serious trouble. He and King Eugene where the first ones to see him as they were walking side by side, probably having some sort of debate as they always were. Eugene's eyes widened when he saw Emile, but Vincent's widened even more. Emile gulped and quickly put Ahmed down. Aladdin seemed to pick up on the fact that something was wrong because of the halted motion of his companions, looked around them, and took on a similar facial expression to that which his sons had when they first saw Emile. But it was Queen Aurora's reaction that took the cake.<p>

Aurora pushed her way around King Vincent after asking him to move several times (he was too stunned to hear her). The first person she caught sight of was Emile, who was frozen as stiff as his father, with wide blue eyes and dark brown spiked neck fur. She did what any sensible woman would do when caught off guard with a sight so alarming; she screamed. That seemed to snap everyone out of their stunned paralysis, and the kings all twitched, looked to Aurora, looked in Emile's direction again, and all did their best to deal with the situation before them.

Aladdin, mistaking him for a werewolf, drew his ceremonial curved sword (for whatever good it would do him) and moved to block Aurora from any harm that the beast might attempt to cause. Eugene stole a quick glance around the room, and seemed satisfied to wait for an explanation after he reassured himself of his daughter's safety. He crossed his arms, leaned back on his heels, and fixed the young royals with and expression half way between amusement and worry. Aurora, after recovering from her shock at seeing Emile, noticed one of the other children in the room, namely her son, lying on the floor unconscious with signs of a fight on his knuckles and face. She ran over to him, already worried to tears, and picked his head up off of the floor. The only one who didn't move was Vincent; he just stood and stared at his son. Then the only possible thing that could make Emile's case worse happened.

Iago, now feeling doubly humiliated by both the giant wolf and the young princes, found another opportunity for revenge. Smiling wickedly for a moment, he flew down from his shelf and fixed an expression of terror on his face.

"THE WOLF WAS TRYING TO KILL THE YOUNG PRINCES!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, leaving through the library doors with a shout of, "RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!"

That settled it for Emile. He was going to kill that bird.

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><p>Rhonwen's heart was rushing already because of the boys' fight, but she could have sworn that when the parents entered the room it stopped completely. Upon seeing them all memory of the fight vanished and the room's inhabitants could have been classified as statues for their lack of movement. Aurora's scream pierced the silence in the room and time unfroze as everyone started moving. Her first reaction was to look to her father, who now met her eyes with a disapproving but amused twinkle in his own. She saw Emile's neck fur stand up tall and his body go ridged, not that she could blame him with the look his father was giving him. She rather doubted that he could see anyone but his father at that moment.<p>

Aurora rushed towards Augustine fearfully and suddenly Rhonwen remembered that there had been a fight going on. She looked around to her friends to find out how they were handling the sudden turn of events. Dianna had apparently been frightened by the fight, and the entrance of the parents was just too much for her. She was crying helplessly onto Edward's sleeve, while he tried to comfort her to the best of his ability. Melody was sitting next to Akram on the floor, apparently trying to decide if the tight headlock his brother had him in would cause any bruises. Red was seemingly still paralyzed, her complexion matching her name again. Her eyes were not on the parents, however, but on Augustine's unconscious form. Ahmed was sitting on the ground, legs splayed out wide; apparently still right where Emile had dropped him. The other brothers were all glancing from one person to another, like herself, taking in the situation. She didn't think it could possibly get any worse when that blasted red overgrown canary flew overhead, shouting accusations against Emile. Wonderful. Apparently fate wanted to prove her wrong.

Still, she couldn't let that comment stand, not without standing up for Emile. The wrathful look that Queen Aurora was giving him now was not at all pleasant, as the bird had stirred her "mother bear instinct" and she looked ready to attack Emile herself, a fact illustrated by her arming herself with a large book. Rhonwen stepped forward, standing between Emile and the parents and trying to formulate what she would say while she did so. She held her head high, ready for the debate of her life.

"That's not true!" she said loudly, startling everyone by saying the first words uttered by a human after the whole fiasco started, "He didn't hurt anyone! He didn't even get the chance to; you came in before he could do anything!"

"Do anything about what?" Aladdin asked confusedly, with his sword still in the ready position.

"Augustine and Ahmed were fighting," she said simply, hoping that the truth would help her and not hinder.

"Fighting about what?" said Queen Aurora suspiciously, still not putting the dictionary down.

"Ahmed insulted Red and he was trying to defend her," said Rhonwen, almost feeling guilty for letting the details of the fight slip, "When Ahmed hit Red again, Augustine just lost it and they started to fight."

"Ahmed!" Aladdin said furiously, "After we went through that entire talk you did it again? What were you thinking!"

Ahmed looked down at the floor, but more out of defiance than the shame he should have been feeling.

"They were tousling and Augustine passed out," Rhonwen continued, "Ahmed kept hitting after he did, and Emile picked him up off of Augustine."

This drew a collective gasp from the parents, and Aurora glared daggers at Aladdin, who gave a similar look to Ahmed.

"I think that he only intended to stop Augustine from being hurt; he never would have hurt Ahmed. Right Emile?" she said, her voice starting to sound desperate as the situation declined.

Emile nodded dumbly, eyes still on his father.

"Emile?" Aurora asked, her voice frantic, "That _thing_ has a name?"

Rhonwen winced, not sure where to take this. She didn't know how to break the secret of the curse quickly, and this situation was becoming more of a political nightmare with every minute. She looked to her father for help, but he looked just as perplexed as she did. Then Vincent startled them all by speaking out in a loud and commanding voice.

"That is not a _thing_," he said menacingly, not losing eye contact with Emile, "That is my son. I'll thank you not to insult him any further. Emile, return to your room at once, you and I are going to have a discussion when I clean up your mess. As for the rest of you, spread the word to the royal families that there is an emergency meeting in the Negotiation Hall in ten minutes. Everything will be explained then."

At this he vacated the door to allow Emile to go through it, still watching him with and expression between anger and mourning. Then he turned, his blue fur trimmed cape flairing impressively, and stormed away in the direction of the Negotiation Hall. Rhonwen turned toward the frantic Queen Aurora and started to undo her braid to offer her assistance, calling Akram to come over as well, saying she might as well heal them at once. She hesitated when King Aladdin brought Ahmed over to her as well, asking that she heal his bruised hands and face, but after a moment she reluctantly handed him a strand of her hair. It was not in her nature to deny healing to someone who needed it. All throughout this, her mind was rushing to catch up with the newest developments. The one thing she knew was that Emile was in the most trouble he had even been in, in his life, and it was she who put him there.

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><p>Emile bolted for his room, this time taking the quickest route instead of trying to avoid detection. He knew that his secret was blown now, and his chances of breaking the curse had just faded considerably. It had to happen by chance, after all, not by design, and the love had to be true. Now everyone knew there was a prince under a curse and suitors would start to come by the dozens, seeing if they could be the lucky one the break the curse and become queen. Most curses he had ever heard of were solved by love, after all, this one was not so unique and other people would guess that.<p>

But it wasn't this that scared him the most. It was the coming talk with his father. He knew his father well, and greatly admired him in many ways, like how he could take charge of any situation. The problem was, he also knew his father's temper well, and if anything Vincent had said in the past held true he would not be emerging unscathed from this one.

He arrived at his room and shut the door behind him, pacing on his worn carpet in much the same way his father had at his age in this room over the same patch of carpet. After two hours of waiting, which seemed more like an eternity to Emile, he heard his father's heavy footsteps coming down the corridor to his room. He turned toward the door and waited for his father to enter.

Vincent opened the door swiftly without knocking and turned to his son, his face looking exceedingly tired and more than a little bit angry. Emile tried to speak up, knowing nothing else to do.

"Father, I…" he started, but stopped when his father held up his hand.

They were both silent for a few moments and then Vincent began to speak, his voice low and deceptively calm. Emile winced. He only sounded like that when he was already past the point of losing his temper.

"Emile," Vincent said, his hand slowly dropping, "You have just disobeyed everything I have asked you to do while the dignitaries were here, and everything I have told you not to do at any time. You've broken the first rule you learned, which was your best chance for breaking the curse. Now there will be insincere maids from every kingdom arriving here to seek your hand, thinking that you will be desperate and accept anything that comes. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Emile blinked, not sure where to begin.

"Well?" his father asked, his voice rising a bit.

"Father," he said slowly, preparing himself to say something that had been left unsaid for a long time now, "How will I ever be able to find someone to break the curse if I don't know anyone at all?"

"I managed, didn't I?" Vincent said, his voice rising even more, "Your mother was the first woman my age that I met in my adult life, and if anyone knew that I was here they would either have hunted me down like Gaston or else sent their daughters to "fall in love" with the desperate prince. Do you realize what you have done? It's not only the royals who know now, I'm sure of it. By the end of the day every servant they brought with them, from the maid to the coachmen, will know your secret and we'll start getting marriage offers within the week!"

"I can't stay hidden from the other royals forever, Father!" Emile said back, though now they had risen to the level of almost yelling at one another, "I know that you know how lonely that life is! Why do you force it one me?"

"I DON'T!" Vincent yelled, anguish and anger taking over his voice at last, "ALL I CAN DO TO HELP YOU IS PROTECT YOU AND TRY TO HELP YOU BREAK THE CURSE THE WAY I DID!"

"MAYBE I CAN'T STAND TO LIVE THAT WAY," Emile roared with the full force of his powerful lungs, "DID YOU EVER THINK OF THAT? MAYBE I HAVE TO FIND MY OWN WAY TO BREAK THE CURSE!"

"YOUR OWN WAY TO BREAK THE CURSE?" Vincent yelled, almost matching his son's volume, "THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE WAY TO BREAK THE CURSE; I SHOULD KNOW, I WAS THERE WHEN IT WAS LAID! YOU ARE SO STUBBORN YOU CAN'T JUST DO WHAT YOU'RE TOLD BECAUSE IT'S THE BEST THING FOR YOU!"

"OH, I WONDER WHERE I GOT THAT FROM!" Emile snarled through bared teeth.

"STOP IT, BOTH OF YOU!" a female voice called out.

When Vincent and Emile looked towards the source they saw Belle, standing at the door, her face red and her eyes tearing. Just seeing her so upset put an end to the yelling, and was enough to bring a terrible look of shame to both of their faces. Vincent walked towards her, apologizing as he came and hoping to embrace her and stop her from crying, but she pushed him away and glowered at the both of them in a way that would make any husband or son flinch.

"You two are both some of the biggest fools I have ever met!" she said, shaming them again, "But you belong to me, so sometimes I have to protect you both from your own foolishness."

"Belle…" started Vincent, now feeling terrible about himself.

"Not now," she cut him off, "I still have more to say. The entire castle might just have heard you two, you were going at it so loudly. This will not help the situation with the other royals at all. So, we are going to work this out later, when all of us have had the time the calm down. We will work it out civilly, in calm voices, and we will not resort for blaming or name calling. We will each establish our own point of view, and then listen to that of the other, and we will come out of it feeling that the problem has been resolved. Understood?"

Her voice was so tense that her men dared not refuse her request and she looked satisfied when she received the replies of, "Yes, Dear," and, "Yes, Mother." She nodded her head, wiped her eyes, and gave them both a look of reassurance.

"Now," she said comparatively calmly, "We are all going to spend some time alone, thinking about what we will say, and then we will meet tomorrow after negotiations in the garden, so the sound doesn't carry to other parts of the castle. Agreed?"

She received two more replies similar to the previous ones, and then gave them both a watery smile and left the room. Emile and Vincent looked at each other, hostility gone, with a look of resignation. Vincent left the room and Emile was alone again.

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><p>Rhonwen and her parents returned from the emergency meeting wearing matching grim expressions. Everything about the curse that could be explained was explained during the meeting, but it did not settle the distrust that the secret had caused between the kingdoms. All the royal parties were sticking to themselves, and the youthful royals hadn't dared to send notes during the meeting for all the tempers flying around the room. Only Rhonwen sent a note, the same note, to all of them, the crab's scuttling feet inaudible through the arguments. It told all the friends to meet in the library at night, after everyone was asleep. She received no replies in note form, but every one of them found a time to send her an inconspicuous nod guaranteeing their attendance. The rulers had their emergency meeting, now it was time for the princes and princesses to have theirs.<p>

When they got back to their suite, Rapunzel shut the door and turned to her daughter and husband, who were seating in a settee facing the door in the sitting room.

"Ok, so you say that this Ahmed started the fight?" she asked, her voice tired and irritated but not angry.

"Yes, Mother," Rhonwen answered timidly, sure she must be in trouble because she felt like she was to blame for everything that happened.

"And you weren't involved in the fight at all?" she said, coming closer to Rhonwen.

"No, Mother," Rhonwen replied.

"Good," Rapunzel said, "That means that we're not part of any of those problems. But something tells me that you were somehow involved in bringing Emile out to meet everyone, right?"

Rapunzel looked understanding and sad, so Rhonwen knew she didn't blame her. She knew, though, that the blame for a lot of the problems caused by Emile was hers. Eugene looked like he was about to say it was his idea, probably trying to spare her from the responsibility, but Rhonwen cut him off.

"It was my idea, Mother," she said simply, "Father knew nothing about it."

Eugene looked miserably at Rhonwen, wishing he had spoken sooner.

"Well," Rapunzel said, sitting next to her daughter, "I'd say that one backfired, dear."

Rhonwen broke down and cried, hugging her mother miserably.

"It was all my fault, Mother!" her muffled voice said.

"I don't know what to say sweetheart," Rapunzel said, her own eyes tearing as she stroked her daughter's hair, "Only that maybe this was meant to happen and that tomorrow is a new day. Why don't we all get some sleep, alright?"

Rhonwen nodded and hugged her father, then went to her room. Rapunzel and Eugene glanced at each other dismally and made their way towards their own room. After about an hour, when Rhonwen was sure they were asleep, she re-emerged from her room, wearing her "adventure" outfit, and started to sneak towards the door. She was stopped by a whisper from the settee, which she had thought was unoccupied.

"You can't out sneak the King of Sneaks, Kiddo," it said, and Rhonwen froze, "Where are you headed?"

"The library, Father," she whispered back, "All the others are meeting there so we can talk about what happened alone. Please let me go?"

"I don't see any harm in that," Eugene said, giving her a sympathetic smile, "Just be sure to get back before morning and don't get into any trouble."

"I won't," she replied gratefully, "Thanks, Dad."

Eugene smiled at her and she smiled back, then turned and left through the front door of the suite, headed for the library.

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><p><strong>Get ready for adventure! And please, do review, I want to know what you think!<strong>


	13. Chapter 13

**Here's another chapter for you guys! Hope you like it! I hope you like it so much that you review! ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;)**

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><p>When Rhonwen arrived in the library it was close to empty. Only Melody was there so far; the rest had yet to arrive. Melody looked up when she entered and the two shared a sympathetic glance.<p>

"What should we do?" Melody asked grimly.

"Not yet," replied Rhonwen, "We have to wait for the others."

So the two of them sat in silence as they waited for their companions. One by one their friends arrived, each remaining silent and waiting with them until the last one, Dianna, arrived and shut the door behind her. She went over to the loveseat that she and Edward had been sitting in before and where he waited for her now. Red started the conversation.

"Ok," she said, still managing to be lovably obnoxious despite her quiet tone of voice, "Today was a disaster. Are we all in agreement?"

Everyone nodded and smiled grimy at Red's welcome sarcasm.

"The question is what we should do about it," said Augustine, looking to each of the people in the room, "Before Ahmed and the others came in we were talking about finding the witch. Dianna mentioned the book that the witch was in, the Odyssey?"

He looked to Dianna and she nodded.

"If that is the witch," continued Augustine, "Then we might have a way to track her down, just like we were talking about. After all, the book will probably tell us where to find her. Then we can track her down and kill her, so Emile will be free from the curse. If he becomes human again it might help to settle the problems raised between our countries today in the meeting."

"Oh, I hope so!" whispered Dianna, "My mother and Queen Aurora are good friends, and she's angry with Edward's father for taking King Vincent's side. When we got back to our suite she mentioned that she might break off my engagement to Edward!"

"She was probably just venting her own distress, dearest beloved darling," soothed Edward, although he looked alarmed as well.

"Yes, that's probably true," said Augustine, "And my mother would not like to hear of anything like that. But you all see my point. Something has to happen, someone has to fix the problem, or our kingdoms could end up ending alliances over this. I know that my kingdom's relationship with Agrabah is already in a bad way, even without all the stress added by people taking sides over the curse. If it's the same witch in the book then we could hunt her down, and that would be one less problem for our kingdoms."

"So, I'll find that book and we'll see if it could be the same witch," Rhonwen said, feeling good to be doing something to help Emile.

"Also," said Red pensively, "We have to consider that we're not just helping Emile or settling argument between our kingdoms. From what we know she could have been the same witch who married my grandfather and poisoned my mother. If she's still out there, she's still a threat to any one of us, or the people we represent."

"Red," Augustine began, his brow furrowing, "I thought Queen Grimhilde died. Wasn't she crushed by a boulder?"

"How do you know that?" Red asked, looking at him strangely, "Never mind, I don't want to know how much of my family history you've memorized."

Here Red paused for a moment to glare at Augustine, and then continued in making her point.

"Obviously, you haven't studied your history recently," she said, "Yes, Grimhilde was seen falling down into the chasm, and the boulder looked like it landed on her, but when they went back to search for the body there wasn't a trace. She had vanished into thin air. Not surprising, when you consider the spell books and ingredients that were found in the secret passage. She was a witch, and there's no mistake about it."

"And it is a bit strange that she looked so much like a witch that we've all heard about," added Melody.

"And that a witch of a similar description cursed someone in the nearby kingdom somewhat close to the date of her first appearance," said Edward, "And, come to think of it, my grandfather also married a witch who placed a curse on my father's intended bride to keep her throne. She also disguised herself as an old hag to catch her prey off guard. She didn't match the description of the witch exactly though, as she had brown hair and eyes."

"How hard would it be to change your eye and hair color if you could change your entire appearance?" asked Melody.

"Exactly my point, dear lady," replied Edward.

"What's to say that the book that Dianna read is true?" asked Akram, still skeptical that the witch could be the same one who affected them all, "No offence to Dianna."

"I know it is," replied Melody simply, "My Grandfather is in it. He's mentioned things that happened in it in his stories. I think one of them was about the witch, I just can't remember her name."

Akram looked curiously at Melody for a moment and let the subject drop. No use arguing that the book was untrue when she obviously had firsthand experience with the book's characters. And it seemed that Rhonwen had found the book Dianna had mentioned.

"Got it!" she called over to them, climbing down the ladder.

She brought the book back over to them and together, with Dianna's guidance, the young royals began to read through the section that mentioned the witch. It turned out that her name was not Grimhilde, but Circe. Grimhilde must have been an alias. She definitely matched the description of both of the witches though, tall and said to have long blond hair, captivating green eyes, and a penchant for turning men into beasts of all sorts. She was also described as vain. But the book said that she lived on an island, so how could she be the wandering witch that had, theoretically, been plaguing the kingdoms? To this, Red supplied an answer.

"It's been a really long time since this book was written," she said, thinking, "I know if I lived on an island alone that wasn't on any maps and rarely got visitors, I'd get pretty bored."

"Yes, Red, but you're not a witch," replied Augustine.

"Are you so very sure of that?" asked Red mock indignantly, "And besides, immortals get bored too, don't they Mel?"

"I suppose so," said Melody, smiling, "My Grandfather does like to play games and watch shows that are put on by his subjects. I think immortals get bored."

"Well, there you have it!" said Red, triumphant again, "She could be the witch!"

"Could be," said Akram, voicing everyone's doubts, "Could be is all we have though. We don't even know that the three were the same witch; much less that she was this witch. And how would we get to her island?"

"My Grandfather could help with that," Melody said excitedly, "He knows every island and landmark in the sea. And since they're both immortals I bet he knows a lot about her. Maybe he can tell us something which would prove or disprove that she's the one."

"But that would mean we'd have to take a trip to the sea," said Rhonwen, "And that would be a really long journey. We'd have to take money, supplies, maps…that's a lot of preparation for something that may not pan out. When would we go?"

"We'd have to go before negotiations end," said Augustine, "That way our parents will have to stay here and perhaps they can settle some of their differences while we're gone."

"Plus, if we wait for them to end it would be harder to go together," added Melody.

"And someone might make a rash decision if the negotiations go badly," said Dianna in a frightened way, "I'm not really a person who enjoys this kind of thing, but if it would stop Edward and I from being separated, I'll go."

Edward smiled at Dianna here and looked back to the group.

"I'll also come along happily," he said.

"I have to come, if we're going to talk to my grandfather," said Melody, "He won't come to the surface for any of you."

"I'm coming," said Augustine, "I know how much a curse can weigh on someone, so if I can help Emile get rid of his, I'll do it willingly."

"Don't think you're leaving me behind," said Red enthusiastically, "I've been waiting for something interesting like this to happen to me since I was five!"

"Well, if you're all going I might as well come along," said Akram sarcastically.

"I guess it unanimous then," said Rhonwen, "Only one problem."

"What's that?" Red asked.

"We can't just go and do this without Emile," she said, and everyone nodded in agreement.

"Rhoni, take us to the West Wing," Melody said, smiling.

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><p>Emile, still awake despite all efforts to the contrary, paced back and forth, thinking about the talk that his mother promised for tomorrow afternoon. He felt overwhelmed by the thought that anything he said would be labeled as rebellious or stubborn by his father, and that there was no way the issue could be settled. Even his mother, a remarkable debater, was no miracle worker, and his father was the most stubborn man he had ever met. There was no way that he could change his father's mind, or even make him understand his point of view. He was about to try going to sleep again when he heard footsteps in the corridor, coming towards his room. They were soft steps, like someone walking on tip toe, but there was no mistaking them. And there were a lot of them. Carefully he walked over to the door and opened it a crack to see outside.<p>

What he saw surprised him greatly. All of his friends were making their way down the hallway to his room. Even Dianna was coming, and he had gotten the impression that she was scared of him. He opened the door and gestured to them to hurry inside. Closing it behind them, he turned to ask what had gotten into them.

"What are you all doing here?" he said softly.

"We have a plan," Rhonwen said, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

Emile knew that if anyone found them here he could get into even more trouble. Then again, with his secret blown wide open, he didn't know if it was against the rules anymore. Besides that, how could he possibly be in more trouble? And he wanted to see what was making Rhonwen's eyes sparkle like that.

"Ok," he said, after a moment's hesitation, "Tell me what's going on."

Rhonwen and the others related the plan to him, going through it step by step with him just as they had amongst each other. The plan really began to take form, however, when everyone counted the money they had brought with them, which, of course, amounted to more than enough for light travel, and started to think of how they would get supplies. Emile told them that he would take care of the supplies and horses. They agreed that he was the best one to set everything up as he knew his way around the castle and could sneak away the things they needed without being noticed. And finally, they decided to leave the very next day immediately after negotiations, after Emile emphatically agreed that he could get everything ready by then. They said goodbye, planning to meet again tomorrow behind the garden wall, where Emile would be waiting for them with horses and supplies ready. Then they each headed back to their own rooms, careful not to wake their parents, and spent the rest to the night thinking about the great adventure lying before them.

The next day Emile was as busy as he could ever be. Here he took two bags of flour, there a large bag of dried beef; he snagged a case of traveling cordial while the kitchen staff wasn't looking, and took a mule from the barn along with the number of horses which would be needed for all of them to ride. For himself he took one of the shire horses that his mother kept, as they were the only one's large enough to carry his weight dependably for any distance. Then he took the small caravan out the front gates one at a time and around the wall to the back, where the garden was.

This is what took him the better part of the morning, as there were a great many horses, he had to move them carefully to avoid detection, and the mule was somewhat unhappy with being moved from its normal routine. He tied the horses to some of the nearby trees and waited, glad that he had donned his travel clothes before he came out as he now realized that he couldn't leave the horses alone in the woods with the wolves that inhabited them. He even remembered his journal, which he packed in the pocket of his cloak. He took it out and began to write while he waited for the others to arrive.

_I already wrote about what happened yesterday and the meeting my father and mother planned to settle the problem. But now something completely different is going to take place instead. I'm going on a journey, along with the others that I met and befriended yesterday. It was their idea initially, that we go out to find the witch and destroy her before she does any harm to anyone else. I just can't believe I'm actually doing it. __I've never even been outside the castle walls before! How am I going to manage this journey when every step would be on strange ground? It's beyond me! But I've decided to go, and even though there's a considerable amount of fear for me in seeing the vast unknown, I will not back away from the plan now._

_We're going to be traveling through Melody's kingdom, the quickest way to the sea. The journey to the ocean alone will take days, and we can be sure that we will be followed eventually when our parents discover all of us missing. But perhaps that is a good thing. From what the others described of the emergency meeting my father called to explain my sudden appearance, the relations between our kingdoms are being strained. Maybe if they were forced to band together to chase after us, they'll learn to set aside their differences. Or maybe they'd just kill each other. I really have to stop being so pessimistic. _

_But quarreling kingdoms and political stress is not the real reason I decided to go. And neither is finding the witch and being freed from my spell. I mean, yes, that would be wonderful, but I just couldn't say no to the others, not with all of them offering so much to help me. Each of them agreed to come even before they told me anything about this mission, and I can't help feeling that I would be letting them down if I said no. And it doesn't help that Rhonwen is the one who asked me to come. She made that innocent, hopeful face and I couldn't just say no to that! Besides, so far all we have planned is a trip to the ocean to see what Poseidon says about Circe. It might lead to nothing at all, besides a trip across the Southern Kingdom and the chance to get to know everyone a little better. _

_I hope that my parents understand why I have to do this. I can't just sit around doing nothing anymore and hope that the situation will fix itself. I know my father won't like it at first, but maybe if Mother understands she can get it through to him. She has always had better luck explaining things to him than I have. I left a note to them in my room, telling them that I had gone to find the witch and that I had to make the journey alone. That shouldn't really tell them where I'm headed, because the information we have is new to them as far as we know. _

_I know that I can't be the only one who's thought about killing the witch; my father has mentioned that desire frequently. But my father doesn't read very much, besides when my mother is reading with him, and they don't tend to read books like the Odyssey together. They read fairy tales and romances. I'm sure my mother has read it, but if she had associated Circe with the witch who cursed my father then she would have told someone about it by now. They'll have to get a group of tracking dogs to follow us, and that will slow them down greatly. I'm just hoping that this won't be the final straw for the alliance of our kingdoms. _

_I hear rustling in the garden now, I think it's Rhonwen. We all discussed last night that she would come out first and I'd help her over the wall, then we could use her hair as rope to help the others. As soon as she sounds the whistle I'm going to have to stop writing about the journey and actually begin it. That scares me, I'm not ashamed to admit that, but the thought that I'm finally doing something active about getting rid of this curse is comforting. That and I have to protect my friends. There's the whistle, gotta go. And so it all begins…_

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><p><strong>I figured I'd let Emile write the big suspenseful ending this time, since he's got so much invested in the adventure. ^_^ <strong>

**Review, tell me what you all think! I'm dying to know!**


	14. Chapter 14

**And the next chapter is out one time! Now I have some serious writing to do to catch up with next week's deadline!**

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><p>Rhonwen rushed to her room after the negotiations ended that day, saying she had to use the restroom. One thing was for sure, Augustine had been right. The tension between the kingdoms was thick in the air, and rulers who were steady and trusting of their neighbors the day before now had a hard time keeping their tempers under control at the negotiation table. And from what Rhonwen could see Dianna was right to worry as well, because she and Edward were not allowed to sit together at the meeting like they had been in the previous meetings. In fact the whole table was organized differently this time, with the kingdoms who sympathized with Vincent's plight on one half, and those who felt more grievously betrayed on the other, though all the rulers felt somewhat betrayed that Emile's curse was not shared with them sooner. Agrabah and the Sun kingdom were seated on opposite sides of the table entirely; though that did not stop some very heated arguments between the rulers of both.<p>

Rhonwen went into her room and had her handmaids tie her hair up in a rope braid again, saying she wanted to move a little easier for a while. Then she sent them away and changed into her adventure outfit. Putting a dark colored dress on over the top of it, she walked out of her room and through the castle, until at last, she was in the garden. The whole way she was hoping that her father would not see her and ask her where she was going, because she had never successfully lied to him and he couldn't know where she was headed. She breathed a sigh of relief when she made it out into the garden and it was not occupied. Quickly, she untied her hair and whistled to Emile, again praying that nobody saw her until she made it out. She waited to hear his return whistle for a short time, getting her hair ready for the small climb.

Finally, Rhonwen heard a sound which she assumed was Emile's signal, though it sounded nothing like a whistle. It sounded more like a very wet rasberry. She rolled her eyes, and threw her hair over the wall, and, after testing to be sure he was holding on, she used it as a balancing rope and pulled herself up the side of the wall. When she reached the top she threw her hair down and jumped after it. It was only a small jump and she could have landed easily on her feet, but Emile apparently decided to catch her anyway. He put her down and the two glanced at each other awkwardly for a moment. Then she fixed Emile with a sarcastic expression.

"You could have told me you can't whistle," she said wryly, "We could have worked out another signal. "

"I didn't really think about it at the time," said Emile, smiling, "And besides that, it's embarrassing to admit you can't whistle when it's obvious everyone else can."

"As embarrassing, say, and that sound you just made while you were trying to whistle?" she asked, grinning widely.

"Even more," he said in reply, "How long until the others get here?"

"Not long," Rhonwen replied, looking around at the horses and supplies for the first time, "They will be arriving in small groups or alone, for safety's sake, and then they'll send us the signal when they're ready to grab the rope. And don't worry, I'll whistle to them."

The two of the smiled at each other with the continued banter, then Rhonwen began to check the supplies, with Emile watching for wolves and listening for more friends in the garden. She thought that he would only be able to get supplies enough for saddle bags on each horse, and that they would have to stop and send one of the more inconspicuous members of the team into a town to buy more as they needed it. She was astounded when she came to the mule, fully loaded and tied to the saddle of a massive shire horse.

"You really nicked all this stuff today?" she asked in amazement.

"Yep," he replied easily, "But I prefer the term borrowed."

Rhonwen smiled and couldn't stop her thief side from admiring his work. He wasn't exactly inconspicuous after all, and some of the things he had were rather large. He had taken an entire case of cordial, which would keep them hydrated even when there were no streams available to fill canteens, not to mention it tasted good and would keep up morale. And the sacks of flour, sugar, lard, and dried meat amazed her even further. She couldn't help but smile at the thought of him, huge as he was, sneaking through the castle unnoticed with a bag of flour in one arm and cordial in another. Such an amusing scene, surely, which nobody got to see. She stroked the mule's neck and looked up at the shire horse stallion, which was three feet taller than her at least. He must have been Emile's horse.

She looked back over at Emile when he moved closer to the wall, leaning his ear against it.

"One of the others is coming," she said surely, for he did not look alarmed, "Can you tell who it is?"

"I think it's Edward and Dianna," he replied, glancing over at her, "They're walking very close to each other and I hear a woman whispering."

Rhonwen got ready to throw her hair, looping it up so that it would fly higher and yet easily come down on the other side. She listened for a moment for the whistle, and whistled back when it came. Spinning her hair above her head expertly, she tossed the end over the wall, and then she handed the rest to Emile, leaving about three feet hanging loose so it wouldn't pull painfully when the others began to climb. She could tell that the first one must have been Dianna, as Emile barely even braced himself to hold her weight. She got up to the top of the wall, but then looked down to see the distance to the ground and seemed to lose her courage.

"I can't jump!" she wailed quietly, "I'm too scared!"

"I'll catch you, I promise," said Emile, holding out his arms.

This seemed to scare her even more and she began to sob quietly. Luckily she had the sense to scoot behind the limbs of the nearby tree in the garden, which hid her from the sight of the castle. She pulled the rope over to her, so that it was hidden as well, and looked down to Edward, saying something else about being afraid.

Edward whistled to alert them that he was ready to climb, startling Rhonwen and Emile both. They had agreed that they would go up one at a time to avoid some suspicion. Then again, maybe he thought that if he was up there he could encourage Dianna to jump. So Emile braced himself, more firmly this time, and Edward climbed up onto the wall to sit beside Dianna. The two whispered for a moment, and then Edward jumped down. He turned around to look up at Dianna and held out his arms expectantly, smiling. Dianna hesitated for a moment, looked down at Edward again, and then jumped directly into his arms.

"You caught me!" she said, after a few moments.

"Don't sound so surprised, my precious treasure," he laughed.

And then the two of them walked off towards the horses, Dianna still in his arms and Edward singing softly about something involving a true love's kiss. Rhonwen and Emile, knowing that the couple had already completely forgotten about them, rolled their eyes and smiled.

The next whistle came before too long, this one bringing a group of three over the wall. Melody, Red, and Akram all seemed to get over the wall very easily. Especially Akram, as he did a very impressive double back flip on the way down and landed next to Melody smiling, apparently no stranger to long drops and high climbs.

The last to arrive was Augustine, and he climbed up very quickly, pulling the hair rope up with him and hid behind the tree as quickly as he could. His body guards came out a few seconds later, looked around the garden unenthusiastically, and went back inside to continue their search. Augustine jumped down and landed solidly, if a little awkwardly, then smiled to his friends.

"Thank goodness I avoid those guys all the time," he said sardonically, "They don't have any reason to think today is different."

The friends laughed and they all began mounting their horses when Red looked over to Rhonwen and laughed.

"Rhon," she said through her chuckles, "You're not really planning on traveling in that are you?"

"Oh!" Rhonwen said, startled.

She had completely forgotten about the long, dark dress she was wearing over her adventure outfit. She quickly slipped it off, packed it in her saddlebag, and mounted her own horse.

"On we go," said Edward, now astride his large white stallion, "To adventure!"

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><p>The young royals were gone for almost two days before their parents realized they were missing. At least, before they realized they were all missing. Because of the breakdown in communication and trust between the kingdoms, none of them trusted the other kingdoms with the information that their princes or princesses were missing until that time. Private searches were sent around the castle by each kingdom before then, which were executed discreetly, but when they came back empty the royals all chose to make the other kingdoms aware of their missing children in the oncoming meeting. Meanwhile, their servants checked the woods close by and every room in the castle, but to no avail. Eventually, the meeting came, and when every royal family arrived without their children, it was immediately known that something had gone wrong. Chaos ensued, as some families wanted to return to their kingdoms to search for their children and others thought it best to stay where they were to wait, so that if they returned they did not find their parents gone. When the meeting was at the worst state of chaotic arguement it could possibly reach, one loud voice shouted ever the rest and those in the room were silenced.<p>

"ENOUGH!" it shouted, drawing the gaze of everyone in the room, "That's enough!"

The voice belonged to King Vincent, whose face was red with frustration and whose brow was wrinkled with intense worry.

"Our children have gone," he said, in a relatively calm voice, "Obviously they have some sort of plan, or they would not have all gone together. They are leaving to do something which they must think incredibly important, even more important than our worries."

At this he paused and looked to Belle, and the two shared an understanding glance. Then she nodded to him encouragingly.

"What we must do is find out what their plan was," he said plainly, "And track them down before they get into any danger. I have a plan to do just that."

"Why should we trust you?" asked King Philip, "Why should any of us follow your lead after the fiasco you caused over the last few days?"

"Oh, get off his back, Philip," said King Edward, "He's just as worried as we are."

"It was probaly his son that inspired the rest of them to leave with him!" Said Queen Ella pasionately, "Why else would they just leave without any warning?"

"Our children have minds of their own," said Queen Ariel, "If they left it was by their own choice, not because someone told them to!"

"My precious Rosa would never do anything so deliberately rash and dangerous!" said Queen Blanca frightfully, "She is a very graceful young lady, and not inclined to act brashly! Unlike some people's children!"

At this she looked to Aladdin spitefully and he swelled.

"Obviously she's more brash than you thought!" he said.

"You know nothing about my Rosa!" Blanca replied.

"And if anything my sons say about her is true neither do you!" Aladdin retorted.

"Your sons who started a fight with my son, falsely accused this Emile, and insulted ladies?" Aurora spat, "Apple doesn't fall far from the tree, Ali Baba."

"Stop it!" Belle shouted over the crowd of bickering royals, "This is no time for fighting!"

"Yes," Vincent said, "The only thing we should be worried about now is finding our children."

"And we should follow your plan to do so?" asked King Justinan indignantly.

"Do you have any better ideas?" Eugene replied equally indignantly, "Because I didn't hear you offering them before. Hear the man out."

Eugene turned back to Vincent and the two shared a glance, reluctantly grateful for the other's assistance.

"My plan is this," Vincent began, "Two of us will go out with tracking dogs to find the children. The rest will remain here and try to piece together what they're going to do, based on what they might have been doing for the past few days. Whenever the people at home get any new information in their investigation, they will send that red parrot belonging to King Aladdin to alert the riders, as his flight would be much faster than sending a messenger on horseback and he is so obviously gifted with speech."

Vincent looked over to Aladdin, asking for his agreement wordlessly. Aladdin nodded and he looked up to the other rulers and asked for questions.

"Who will the riders be?" asked Justinian.

"I think I should be one of them," replied Vincent, "I know this territory better than anyone else."

This met with no immediate objections and King Eugene raised his hand and spoke.

"I volunteer to be the other rider," he said, "My horse, Maximus, is an expert tracker and so we won't need dogs. Besides that, I am a former world class thief and have a lot of experience with this sort of hunt from the other end of things, so I will be able to predict some of their maneuvers."

Everyone agreed surprisingly quickly that Eugene and Vincent would be the best choices for the job, though some did so rather grudgingly, and the meeting was adjourned. Vincent and Eugene went immediately to the stables to get their horses ready and don their riding clothes. The rest of the royals went to the library, which was Belle's idea, to look for some evidence of their children's plans, ordering the servants to search the children's rooms as they did so. Soon the two fathers set off to look for their missing chilren, and the rest of the parents were left behind to investigate their children's reasons for leaving and battle their growing worry.

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><p>They had been riding on and off for about a day before the group of youthful royals stopped and set up a makeshift camp with the tents and blankets Emile had packed. They ate a good meal of dry meat and travel bread, made from lard, sugar, and flour, and then they all settled around the fire and built their tents, one small tent for each person. Emile now sat inside of his comparatively large tent and wrote in his journal, recording what had happened so far.<p>

_We've been moving for quite some time, stopping only to rest our horses and eating the beef from our saddlebags. We only stopped now because night has fallen, and the risk of breaking a horse's leg in an unseen hole is too great. We're taking shifts at staying awake and watching the camp, though, as the wolves are very real threats. I made sure that the horses and mule were tied in plain view so that we could get to them quickly if they started to become restless. When a horse is restless there is always a good reason; usually the can smell or hear predators before any of us could. _

_It's my shift to be awake, so I figured this was as good a time as any to write about our day. The journey has been fairly uneventful so far and we've only encountered occasional wolf tracks. I did my best to make tracking us difficult, as did Edward, the resident hunter. I don't count on our covering the tracks stopping a search dog, but it will at least slow them down. _

_I'll be sure to write tomorrow when we stop again. Hopefully, it will go as well as today._

Emile stopped writing here and returned his full attention to the camp site around him. All of his friends sounded like they were sleeping peacefully, probably exhausted from the day's journey. He sighed contentedly and continued his watch, glad that everyone was safe and no problems had yet come their way. When his shift was over, he rose and woke Akram for the start of his shift. Then he went back to his tent, and settled into a deep sleep.

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><p><strong>Finally, the journey begins. Don't worry, I'll do my best to keep the updates as punctual as possible. :)<strong>


	15. Chapter 15

**Sorry I'm so late! I'm moving, and my computer was unplugged for a great deal of the week. I can't say that I'll be as reliable in updateing as I have been until the move is complete, but I will try to get them out to you as quickly as I can. I hope you like it!**

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><p>To get to the Southern Kingdom on horseback, as the crow flies, usually took about two days and the children were making excellent time, having come a little less than half way in one. The mule and the large number of travelers slowed them down, of course, but they kept a steady pace and, since they each carried a flask of cordial and a supply of beef in their saddle bags, they did not often need to stop. Rhonwen was glad to finally be on an adventure, risking it all to do the right thing and help her friend. She looked to each of her friends as they traveled through the woods at a gentle trot, glad that she could have such wonderful companions on her journey.<p>

She was riding next to Emile at the front of the little party, with Dianna, Edward, Melody, Red, Akram, Augustine riding behind her in twos. Emile had very good riding posture, which was impressive considering his different bone structure, and Augustine rode like he was born in the saddle. Which was more than she could say for some people. Melody and Red were very good riders, as was Edward, but the sight of Akram and Dianna made her want to laugh. It was apparent that Akram had not ridden a horse recently, as he looked a little uncomfortable with the movement of the animal, overbalancing himself as if he was expecting the rocking of a camel. And Dianna did not know how to ride any other way than side saddle, which she did remarkably well in Rhonwen's opinion. But after about five hours of continuous riding it must not have been too comfortable, as evidenced by Dianna's pained expression.

"Emile," Rhonwen said, "Some of the others look like they need a rest."

Emile looked back as she had, and smiled as he picked out just who these others were. They both held up their arms in the rider's signal to stop and quickly dismounted. The rest of the party followed suit and they began to unpack some food to cook while they stopped. Dianna walked uncomfortably, making a small whine with each step, until Edward picked her up and carried her to a small log, upon which he set her down. Rhonwen couldn't help but notice what a strange and yet perfect couple Dianna and Edward were. They were very little alike, either in looks or in personality, yet they seemed to fit together seamlessly.

Edward was tall, standing at six foot two, and had brown wavy hair with dark, leanly shaped brown eyes. He was the sort of person who naturally took to adventure, the outdoors, and hunting, loving the chance to tell stories of his hunting ventures later. In fact, he talked a great deal. And not completely about himself, though he was a bit socially awkward in that he had the habit of bragging. He was obviously not lacking in physical strength, and, though Rhonwen had never seen him in any real danger, she suspected he would be the kind to place himself in danger to help those he cared for.

Dianna seemed to be his perfect opposite, sitting beside him on the log as he whispered to her about some private matter. She was tiny, not even five feet tall, and had a thin but striking face. Her eyes were pale blue and her hair, which was gathered into a rather rumpled knot, was light acorn brown, not dark enough to be called a true brown but too dark to be blond. Rhonwen had rarely heard her speak, as people, like so many other things, seemed to terrify her. And the outdoors did not seem to agree with her, as she looked about as comfortable on her log seat as a mouse in a castle full of starving tom cats.

It seemed that the only thing the really agreed on was their love for each other. Rhonwen smiled as she watched Dianna lean her head on Edwards shoulder comfortably; apparently Edward was the only person she felt no fear of. Would Rhonwen ever have a relationship like that? She sat, gazing dreamily at the couple, forgetting to dismount.

She was startled from her daydreams quickly, however, by the unceremonious bickering of Red and Augustine. Did those two ever give it a rest?

"Don't touch me!" Red said impatiently as Augustine reached for her hand.

"I was only trying to help you down," said Augustine, peeved but also amused.

"I don't need your help, Prince _Oh-So-Chivalrous,_" said Red mockingly, "You think a lady can't get herself down from her own horse?"

At this statement she looked up to shoot a challenging glare at Augustine and lost her balance, falling flat on her backside into an uninviting looking shrubbery. Rhonwen couldn't help but smile, even though she knew Red wouldn't be pleased to see her amusement. Augustine stepped quickly over to her, assessed whether she was injured in any way, and seemingly found that she wasn't, for a smile developed on his face as well.

"I suppose you meant to do that?" he said teasingly, offering her his hand.

"Yes, I did!" said Red, slapping the hand away and struggling to her feet by her own power.

Her blue eyes flared as she looked at him, almost standing at eye level. Red was the tallest of the girls, taking after her father in that respect. She proudly stood at six feet tall, only three inches shorter than her _fiancé_, and physically looked as strong as he did, with a great deal more aggression to add to the pile. She was thick boned and looked tough, though not as muscular as she probably would have preferred, as she was not allowed the "adventurous" training that Rhonwen had been given by her father. She seemed to habitually wear plain black dresses, perhaps in defiance of her overly feminine mother, which made her red hair and skin even more apparent. Red started to brush the leaves off of her said black dress, grumbling as she did so, and everyone who watched her winced, including Rhonwen.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," said Augustine, looking sympathetically pained.

"Do what?" Red said grouchily, continuing to brush at her dress.

"Too late now," said Augustine in reply, pulling out his handkerchief and handing it to her.

"What do I need this for?" said Red, now clearly confused.

"That plant that was all over your dress is a form of nettle," Rhonwen intervened, taking any possible blame from Augustine, "You should try not to touch it any more. Finish brushing it off and I'll heal any damage done to your hands."

Red blushed crimson and started to frantically swat at her dress with the cloth until the last leaf was gone. Augustine looked on, both amused and sympathetic, looking for some way to offer her his help. When she finished her strange leaf bashing dance, she hurried over to Rhonwen and held out her hands, which were already painfully red and starting to swell. Rhonwen rolled her eyes and quickly sang her song, while Augustine chuckled slightly behind them and Red glared at him over her shoulder. When Rhonwen finished, Red turned back to him and the two began to bicker again. Rhonwen rolled her eyes and ignored them.

She turned and began to unpack some beef from her saddle, watching her companions with a smile. Melody and Akram were sitting near to each other again, though not too near to be proper, and seemed to be having an animated conversation. Rhonwen suspected that there was something more than friendship that motivated those two, as they talked more to each other than anyone else, but it was too soon to say whether it was true or just her girlish matchmaking mind at work.

But if it was true, the two of them seemed to make the best matched couple out of all her companions. They were about the same height and build, though Melody was certainly a little lighter than Akram in both weight and skin, and the two seemed to have a lot to talk about, which suggested that they had things in common. Akram was boyish and silly sometimes, but Rhonwen thought that there was probably a very large heart behind it all, and if Rhonwen interpreted Melody's recent behavior correctly, so did Melody. And Melody was the sort who would do well at being friends with just about anyone. Not to say she was a pushover, or a follower by any means, but she was the amiable sort who made both a good friend and diplomat. And possibly, if all went well, a good wife someday?

Rhonwen sighed. She couldn't help but feel a little left out, with all her friends sitting together in pairs of boy and girl, all seemingly at different stages of romantic, none to terribly interested in her anymore. Even Red, who denied any romantic feeling whatsoever, was more interested in arguing with Augustine than having a conversation with her.

Then she notice Emile, sitting by himself at the edge of the group, looking from friend to friend as she was. She smiled. At least she didn't have to be lonely. Even if she didn't have her fairy tale romance yet, there was Emile, who was kind, funny, and good company. And maybe she'd meet that charming prince or unexpected stranger along the way, and the adventure would be complete. Smiling at the thought, she walked over and sat next to Emile, starting a conversation. Or at least attempted to start a conversion, only getting a little way.

"So, Emile, I was thinking…" she began, but stopped suddenly when his ears pricked up and he tensed.

"Something's wrong," he said plainly, "Wolves, I think. Not far from us. We need to move, now."

"Everyone, onto your horses," said Rhonwen, calling out to the little party, "We need to move, before we get unfriendly visitors."

"Unfriendly?" asked Dianna timidly, looking terrified.

"Not to worry," said Emile reassuringly, "I just heard some wolves a little ways away. If we move now they should never even see us."

Dianna did not look reassured, but at least now everyone was moving faster. Edward lifted up Dianna and put her on her horse, then mounted. The others had quickly mounted and Emile had grabbed the mule's reins and tied them to his saddle. They were on the move again.

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><p>Ahmed had seen his brother Akram hiding clothing in the garden the day before they left, and suspected that he was trying to run away. Being an older brother, despite his bullying tendencies, he wanted to make sure Akram wasn't doing anything stupid and so he followed him around for a while without his younger brother's knowledge. Even though he was trying to protect Akram, there was also the interesting idea of ratting him out to their father as payback for him taking the tall guy's side in their fight, but that idea would fail right now as he wasn't on good terms with his father. Ahmed would need some significant proof that Akram was doing something wrong before he could tell.<p>

He eavesdropped on a few conversations between Akram and that chick he seemed to take to, from behind doors or drapes, and learned that his brother was, indeed, doing something rash. He and the other royal kids he seemed to take to so well were going to go after the witch that cursed the big furry one and stop her from doing any more. Ahmed couldn't help but be amused by this. This witch had supposedly been cursing people for who knows how many years, had mystical amazing sorceress powers, and hadn't been caught yet, and they thought that they, a bunch of clumsy kids without the slightest offensive experience could take her down just like that? But, before he could really figure out their exact plan, he saw his brother and the two chicks making for the garden and knew they were going to go that day. So, he did the only sensible thing for both of his motivations. He followed him.

His younger brother was not an experienced hunter, having always preferred drawing or talking to his sisters to anything really fun. He wouldn't last for three days out there alone, and Ahmed wasn't so sure about any of those others since he never really got to know them. So, as an older brother, he had to go along to make sure the kid wasn't eaten by wolves or something. And, as for the revenge motive, he still didn't have anything but his word to prove to his father that he actually knew anything. But, if he took his other brothers with him, then it would be all their word, plus they would get the reward for bringing them back. That was what took the cake.

So Ahmed had told his brothers what they were going to do and they all followed the other royal kids around an hour after they left, catching up to them quickly, but staying hidden so as to take them by surprise and herd them back home. Ahmed watched as the group dismounted and seemed to prepare for a short break. He signaled with a bird call to Akif, the second born, and they all began to circle around the group, moving slowly to avoid detection. Ahmed smiled. This was going to be great!

Suddenly, Ahmed quickly made plans were ruined as everyone jumped back on their horses and started riding away, at a little faster pace than the usual for the past day. Cursing inwardly, he remounted his horse and sent out the birdcall to his brothers to do the same. They'd just have to wait for a better opportunity.

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><p>Vincent and Eugene rode as steadily as they could while Maximus tracked the young royals. Neither spoke often, for in addition to their inclinations to dislike one another they were both worried fathers with nothing on their minds but finding their children. Finally, the horses needed a rest and the two were forced to stop. Vincent tied the horses nearby where there was plenty of grass for them to graze and Eugene unpacked some dried beef, handing it to Vincent. The two ate in silence for a few moments, and then Eugene, who hated silence, started a conversation.<p>

"So," he began, looking over to Vincent, "I defended you in the negotiations, and took up your side so we could get started with finding our children, but I'd still like to know your reasons for keeping your son a secret like that. You couldn't have thought it could be a good thing, politically, so why did you?"

Vincent was silent for a moment, crouching on the log where he had been eating. He didn't look over to Eugene at all, and after a while Eugene thought he simply wasn't going to answer him and started to get up to check the horses. But, right as he started to stand, Vincent started talking.

"I had to protect him," he said simply, looking at the ground.

"Protect him by hiding him from the world?" Eugene asked, a little puzzled, "That doesn't make any sense. You should have made him known to your people, and the other royals who he would have to interact with when he eventually became king. Hiding him only made his life worse."

"Perhaps you're right," said Vincent, grief and internal struggle evident in his voice, "But I could not let him go into a world that may or may not have accepted him. Any friend he would have would be rare, and he would possibly accept the people who would pretend to be his friend because he was a prince. Having sycophantic followers and false friends around him would be more painful than being alone. I know that, because I was once in the same place as he is."

"Rhoni told me that Emile's curse was inherited," said Eugene, watching Vincent's face carefully, "But I don't think you could ever have been in the exact same place he is now."

Vincent tensed, his brow furrowing. Eugene carefully continued.

"He isn't you, that's all," he said simply, "He has different needs than you did."

"He has my curse doesn't he?" said Vincent, starting to become very confused and (of course) frustrated, "That means that he needs the same protection, the same privacy that I had. Without it…"

Here Vincent's voice seemed to fail him and his head dropped. Eugene looked on sympathetically, waiting for him to finish. Finally, Vincent spoke.

"Without that protection he'll get hurt," he said softly, miserable.

The two fathers sat in silence for a moment, not knowing what else to say after that. Eugene wanted to say that getting hurt was a part of life, but he strove to do everything in his power to prevent that from happening to his son and daughter. Sure, he did it in a different way, by teaching them self defense and introducing them to as many situations as he could, but he could understand where Vincent was coming from. What would he do, Eugene asked himself silently, if someone tried to take advantage of Rhonwen's hair like Gothel had done to Rapunzel, or if someone mistreated his son Rufus?

"I understand," he replied at last.

The two sat in silence for a few moments more, thinking about their conversation, when suddenly the horses started. Eugene looked up and Vincent was on his feet immediately, running for his sword, which was in its sheath on his horse. He had his hand on the handle when he heard an ominous growling behind him, and turned to see a large wolf springing at him from the bushes, its enormous teeth glistening in the dim evening light.

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><p>Rapunzel and Belle, one of the many detective teams organized after the two kings left, sat together in the library silently. Belle had on her lap a book, the only thing they had found out of place in the library where the children had spent so much time before they left.<p>

The search had be disheartening for many of the parents, and no real evidence of their children's' plan was found. Eventually they had split into small groups, mostly made up of the royals that were closest, and began to wander the castle, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Belle and Rapunzel had just finished searching the library again, thinking they might find something they missed when the larger group came. The book had been their only discovery, and it was not much of a clue as they did not know how a simple book of ancient lore could be involved with their children's escapade. They finally sat down, exhausted from their extensive search and their worry. Belle looked down at the book, a little sadly.

"This book is all we've found, all we have to go on," she said, "And it probably doesn't have anything to do with them."

"Let me see it, please," said Rhonwen, reaching for the book.

Belle gave it to her and Rapunzel started to thumb through it intently.

"If there's anything in this that led them to leave, or any clues as to why they left, then we can't afford not to search it," she said, handing the book back to Belle, "Do you have another copy?"

Belle got the idea and the two ran to the bookshelf, energy returned. If something in the book had been the children's inspiration, or gave a clue to their plan, then they should read the book thoroughly, thinking about everything they read and how it might apply to their children. They had already looked through the pages, and there was nothing as obvious as a map, or any writing, but it was the only clue they had as to why the children were gone. And reading was something that both of them excelled at.

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><p><strong>Lots of different views on the plot here, which made it even harder to get this chapter right as the writing was complicated. Again, sorry I'm late and I hope the next one will be out by sometime next week. <strong>


	16. Chapter 16

**I'm back! And I'm sorry for being late again, but this was as fast as I could go. **

**And yes, I had to change the rating for this chapter and onward, because I read about what the different ratings mean and in order for anyone to be seriously injured it has to be rated T. One thing I will never do is have unrealistic fight scenes where nobody gets hurt, of where the wounds are cheesy and superficial. Being attacked by wolves is serious business, so the rating had to go up again. **

**And one more thing I want to make clear. I love wolves. My pen name is Wolf of the Western Woods, my room is decorated with wolves, and I've read at least a hundred books on wolf behavior. So _Please_ don't think that I'm making them evil by representing their danger. The pack I've imagined in these woods is like one of the packs in Europe during the Dark Ages, huge and growing. There are no hundred member wolf packs left today, but in the old days there were fifty or more packs of that exact size. They were truly terrifying, and could take down entire trains of carriages (as illustrated in the literature and history of the time). I'm not trying to represent wolves as evil, just as powerful and realistic. **

**Ok, that's all. Man, I went on a long tirade this time! Here, let me shut up now so you can read the real story!**

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><p>Eugene yelled and ran towards Vincent as the wolf launched itself at him. Vincent had his sword drawn but Eugene couldn't tell if the animal had hit its mark or not, and he couldn't tell if Vincent's yell was surprise or pain.<p>

Suddenly he felt himself falling, as another wolf had come up from behind him and grabbed his boot in its mouth, tripping him. He fell and instinctively turned over to face his attacker, which was fortunate for him because the wolf jumped onto his chest, pinning him down. As the beast lunged for his throat, Eugene grabbed it by the folds of loose skin around its neck, pushing its head back to the fullness of his arms' length. The animal's teeth snapped furiously as it tried to wrestle itself from Eugene's hands. Eugene knew that he couldn't hold on forever, but saw no other way of escape. Its teeth got closer and closer to his face as the wolf pushed itself down with its entire bodyweight, and Eugene recognized that this time he would probably die. Then the wolf was gone.

The weight of the predator disappeared from Eugene's body, and he lay there, stunned, for a moment before getting up to find out what was happening. When he did stand, he saw Vincent, bloody and furious, with one arm hanging limp at his side, throwing with his other arm the wolf which he had just physically lifted from Eugene into a tree. Apparently he injured its leg and the animal yowled and limped swiftly away. Vincent then picked up his sword, which he had dropped to lift the animal, and began to slash madly at the half circle of remaining wolves, which numbered at about four or five and had been slowly approaching them. Eugene ran to his horse and retrieved his own sword, which he began to use in a similar manner. The animals' snapped viciously, and looked to any weakness in their defense to attack, but after a short time of frenzied attacking the wolves fled.

The two stood, panting, and Eugene looked over the scene. He saw four dead wolves, one of which he had killed himself during the mad defense, one which had a crushed scull from getting too close to Maximus, and the other two which had probably been killed by Vincent while Eugene had been pinned down. Seeing the mangled body of the wolf which had first attacked Vincent, he suddenly remembered how bloody Vincent was, and turned to him, alarmed.

Vincent was watching where the wolves had just fled, rage still evident in his face. His body, however, had begun to sag and he leaned on his sword like a crutch. His left arm was badly wounded, and the wolf which first attacked him apparently got in a strong, deep bite before Vincent slashed its side open. Blood was oozing from the wound, and the bone of Vincent's shoulder looked damaged, as it did not appear that he could move his arm. Eugene suspected that the animal had dislocated the shoulder joint, a common attack for wolves, and rushed over to his friend.

"Vincent!" he said tensely, when he came up beside him, "Don't move, you'll make it worse."

Vincent looked at him, seeming confused, and then followed Eugene's line of sight to his shoulder. His eyes widened and his body went limp as he fainted dead away. Eugene caught him and, carefully, dragged him over to the horses, where their medical supplies were. He swiftly bandaged the wound, trying not to irritate it any further, and put Vincent over his horse. What he must focus on now was getting him away from the site, before the wolves returned with more of their pack. Wiping the wolf blood from his forehead with the back of his sleeve, he mounted Maximus, grabbed the reins to Vincent's stallion and quickly rode away, intent upon finding a safer location before he tended his friend's wound more thoroughly.

When they had ridden for about ten minutes, Eugene felt that they were at a safe enough distance that he could stop to tend Vincent. He stopped the horses and carefully slid the unconscious man down from his horse. Vincent moaned slightly, but seemed nowhere near wakening, which relieved Eugene. Tending the wound would be painful, and it was better for him if he was not awake to remember it. Eugene gently untied his hastily done bandage and surveyed the wound more carefully.

It was indeed an ugly injury. The wolf had followed the typical pattern of its kind in that it found a sensitive joint, bit deeply into the flesh near it, and then yanked with all its considerable strength to dislocate the joint. Eugene laid hand on Vincent shoulder and, wincing sympathetically, snapped it back into place. Vincent made a pained sound and pulled away in the moment he was awakened by the pain, but he just as quickly lapsed back into a troubled unconsciousness, pain lines furrowing his brow. Eugene settled him into a more comfortable position, and then pulled out the whiskey from the medical bag. He poured a considerable amount onto the wound, cleaning it thoroughly. This drew another moan from Vincent, but it was softer and less pronounced than the last, and he did not wake. Eugene rinsed the wound again with some of the water they had in their canteens and then began to bandage it. He pressed a thick amount a bandage padding onto the wound until most of the bleeding stopped (luckily the wolf had missed the major arteries and veins by grabbing the arm instead of the neck, so Vincent was not bleeding too quickly). Then Eugene wrapped the wound tightly, tying Vincent's arm around his chest to prevent it from moving and popping itself back out of joint.

Eugene realized that they weren't far enough away from where the attack happened to stop for the night, but he also knew that Vincent could not take the jostling of horseback at the moment without risking reopening the bleeders. Thinking quickly, he took the small hatchet from Vincent's saddlebag and cut four long, sturdy tree branches, which he fastened together into a makeshift sled, a square frame with two poles extending from it in the front. He fastened a tent tarp over the top of them, making his contraption capable of carrying weight, then he tied one pole to the left side of Maximus' saddle and one onto right side of the other horse's saddle, so that they were it formation to pull a cart or carriage. Thinking of the powerful sense of smell possessed by wolves, and his friend's blood leaving a scent, he quickly rooted around until he found a wild tobacco plant. Eugene stripped the tobacco of its leaves and tied the fragrant things to the back of the sled, a trick he had used many times to avoid search dogs in the old days. It would be able to cover both the scent of the horses and Vincent's injury with no trouble. He burned one leaf over the scene where he had bandaged Vincent, making the scents more confused. Finished, he carefully lifted Vincent again, placed him on the sled, and mounted Maximus. He looked back over his shoulder once before he started moving, and seeing Vincent was lying safely in the middle of the tarp he started the horses, going as fast as he dared while carrying his load. Meanwhile, he sent up a silent prayer, hoping that Rhonwen and the other children had avoided the wolves altogether.

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><p>Emile rode swiftly beside Rhonwen, again at the front of the party. The wolves he had heard were growing more distant, probably having found other prey, so that particular danger had passed, but his mind was still troubled by sounds around them. He could swear that there were more hooves, more horses around them than just those belonging to their group. It was almost as if there were other horses all around them, in a wide circle, following them wherever they went. Rhonwen was looking at him now; she must have seen the troubled look on his face.<p>

"You still worried about the wolves?" she asked softly, not wanting to frighten anyone again.

"Not really," he said, "I guess I'm just a little jumpy after the swift retreat."

"How many do you think there were?" she asked, wide eyed.

"Probably a hunting party of about seven to thirty," he said bluntly, "We have no shortage of wolves around here, and they tend to travel in large groups."

They rode in silence, Rhonwen looking a bit unsettled, and Emile deep in thought. Eventually, Rhonwen turned to Emile and asked a question.

"How many wolves to you think you have around here?" she said plainly, her voice uncomfortable.

"My father went on many hunting trips, and he would bring back at least two wolf hides from each," Emile began, trying not to be so blunt this time, "He said that, as far as he could guess, there were at least a hundred wolves in these woods, mostly belonging to the same pack, as he'd seen a multitude of tracks as the pack changed its seasonal den. Some lone wolves too, though."

"That's a lot of wolves," said Rhonwen, he eyes widening further, "We have a pack that's said to have thirty members in it in Ringdorn, but not anything close to that many."

"Yes," Emile replied, "Your kingdom is an island, mostly, so it would not have any of the large packs like the woods here. There's a lot of prey, you see, and, even though we have hired hunters to try and suppress their numbers it will take time to decrease their size. They breed rapidly, there are plenty of mates to choose from, and all the females breed because they have so much natural prey here."

"Do they attack people often?" Rhonwen asked, her large green eyes larger than normal.

"Sometimes, if they're within their hunting grounds, they will," he replied, trying to tell the truth without scaring her too badly, "Usually they only attack small groups of one or two, though when their hunting party is large enough they will attack more. I haven't heard any wolves around us lately, so no need to worry."

"No wolves around then?" she said, sounding a little relieved, but questioning him with her eyes, "So what's making you jumpy?"

Emile paused, searching for the right words to express his worry without sounding paranoid or ridiculous. Rhonwen waited patiently, her eyes wide and inquisitive.

"I just hear a strange sound, that's all," he said after a while, "It's like there are horses all around us, besides to ones belonging to us. I don't know, it might be some sort of weird echo, but it's got me on edge."

Rhonwen looked around, and seemed to be trying to hear them. Emile smiled. He found it very endearing that she took everything he said so seriously.

"How many would you say you hear?" she said, now very intrigued.

"Oh, it's hard to tell with so many horses around, but I'd say there are about four to seven extra horse hooves meeting the ground," he said, listening intently, "They're spread around the group in a circle. Weird, right?

"Yes, very," said Rhonwen, looking puzzled, "You don't think we're being followed, do you?"

Here Emile paused again, thinking. It would make no sense for the horses to be there unless they were being followed, but if someone had discovered their plot and was following them why didn't they stop them and bring them back home?

"I don't understand it," he said, "It makes no sense that we would be followed this far, but not confronted. Yet, I think that's exactly what's happening."

He looked to Rhonwen, wondering if she could make any sense of it. She looked as unsettled as he was.

"Ok, you're right," she said, "That makes no sense at all. But now that we know they're there, we should try to confront them. Why didn't you mention this before?"

"Well, I just thought I was imagining things or something. I didn't want to risk anyone's lives by sending them out alone to scout, like we would have to in order to catch the shadows. Especially if it turned out that there isn't anyone there."

"That makes sense too," said Rhonwen agreeably, "With all the wolves around it would be dangerous to separate. But are there any wolves around now?"

"Not that I can hear," Emile replied quietly.

"Then we should send a quick scout, like Edward, just to make sure it's only an echo," Rhonwen finished, looking satisfied that they could solve the problem, "He knows how to avoid animals in the woods and can also track, giving us definite evidence of whether or not there's someone there."

Emile nodded, smiling a little, though he was still a bit uneasy. What if the shadows weren't someone from their parents at all, but a band of thieves waiting for a good opportunity to attack? But Rhonwen was right, they had to be confronted. And Emile knew that he would die fighting for his friends, not to mention he might be able to scare them off just by charging at them. He just hoped that Edward wouldn't be harmed before he could do that.

They both signaled to Edward to ride up close to them, and related their worries and plan to him. He, predictably, was ready and willing to have an adventure, and so he rode off into the woods with no further delay. Emile looked back towards Dianna, who was baffled and concerned by her fiancé's sudden departure.

"He'll be back soon," he said, trying to reassure her, "He's just doing a little scouting."

She nodded in his direction, but she did not look much comforted, and her blue eyes, still staring into the woods, as if hoping to see him, were large and round.

* * *

><p>Belle and Rapunzel were reading together in the library, both of their faces determined. They had tried to tell the other royals about the book, but they were not accepted into their presence very happily. It seemed that after their husbands had left, they parents had separated into groups again, and having no real reason to be friendly to those with whom they did not agree, most of them avoided each other altogether. Belle and Rapunzel seemed to be the only ones left who were still actively searching, the rest having lost some energy and hope after nothing was found on the large search. Queen Blanca seemed to have given up entirely, as she hadn't left her chamber for a day and a half and anyone who walked by could hear her delicate sobbing from inside.<p>

Belle had called for the bird, Iago, a few minutes ago through one of the servants, so to pass on the word to their husbands that they were still trying and that they had found a book. They had sent him out with a message clutched in his foot, and were now back to reading with all their furry. Belle was looking for anything that might connect with her son's letter, which had said he had gone to rid himself of his curse. She hadn't found anything yet, and was edging towards despair herself. She laid her head back against the sofa and looked at the stained glass window, remembering again when it was made.

She hadn't told anyone among the rest of the royals about this, but this window was not the only one of its kind. Vincent had installed them in every wing of the castle, each one telling a different part of their story together. The library had been the room she was most annoyed to be locked out of, but it had not been the only one. She smiled slightly as she remembered Vincent, giddy like he had been when he gave her the library, pulling her by the arm to the West Wing, where the series of windows started. She remembered how she had objected to him making her close her eyes again, but had done so, and he brought her before the beautiful first window. It told the story of when Vincent was first cursed, and displayed every detail in stunning color, right down to the emerald green dress of the…

"The witch!" Belle yelled triumphantly, startling Rapunzel as she drove through the pages of her book, "It's the witch! It's the witch!"

"What's the witch?" asked Rapunzel, confused but inspired by Belle's sudden energy.

"This!" Belle cried joyously, showing the page to Rapunzel on which an illustration of the witch was drawn.

"Ok," Rapunzel said, still not quite sure what she meant, "Is the witch a clue?"

"She looks just like the one that cursed Vincent and Emile!" Belle said ecstatically, "Emile's note said something about him leaving to break his curse! I think they've gone to find her!"

"The witch!" said Rapunzel, now fully excited, "We've discovered their plan! But it says that Circe lives on an island. How would they get to her?"

The two mothers, their joy at discovering the plan now dampened by the fact of its danger, set back to thinking and reading with they're greatest speed. Belle looked up shortly and addressed Rapunzel with a question.

"Didn't the last word from Vincent and Eugene say that they were headed towards the Southern Kingdom?" she said, looking as Rapunzel intently.

"Yes," Rapunzel said, staring back at her.

"Why would they go that direction, unless they had maybe charted a course for the island?" Belle mused, thinking aloud, "And how could they have a course in mind when they don't know how to find this island?"

Rapunzel looked down at the book again, baffled, but then smiled and turned back through the pages excitedly.

"It's all in the book, Belle!" she said, the fingers finding the page she was looking for, "Guess who has a relative in this book?"

Belle looked at the illustration that Rapunzel pointed to, Poseidon, and grinned, running her fingers through her disheveled hair.

"They're going to ask Melody's Grandfather to tell them how to find it," she said at last.

"We have to send another message to our husbands," said Rapunzel excitedly.

"But we just sent out the bird and he won't be back for at least a day," said Belle, frowning, "We don't have time for this!"

"Ok, then," said Rapunzel, standing up, "Let's get going."

Belle looked at her and smiled, the two of them sharing thoughts as their minds traveled down the same path. The bird would not be back soon enough, so they would ride to meet the bird. Neither of them felt comfortable just leaving the search to their husbands anyway, and if they rode swiftly they might even be able to catch up with their husbands to join the search. The men wouldn't be moving too fast, after all, since they were tracking. Belle and Rapunzel went swiftly to their chambers, dressed for a long journey, pack the few things they would need, and left within two hours of their discovery, two mothers riding to rescue their wandering children.

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><p><strong>And that's the chapter! I hope you liked it! And don't hesitate to bring concerns or questions to me in a review!<strong>


	17. Chapter 17

**GAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! Finally! It's out! the demon writer's block has finally been defeated! !**

**Seriously though, I'm sorry this took so long. I juat had difficulty with time and writing this chapter was difficult more than usual because of the above mentioned demon. Hope you enjoy!**

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><p>Rhonwen glanced nervously at Emile, the back towards the woods where Edward had just been sent. Emile's neck fur was standing up again, a tell tale sign that he was nervous, and Rhonwen couldn't blame him. It had occurred to her that these shadows might be brigands, waiting to ambush them. And it had been she and Emile who had sent Edward out to find them. What if he was attacked? How could she ever look Dianna in the eyes again? Though there was one other thing that made her nervous, almost as much as Edward's dilemma. <em>She<em> and _Emile_ had sent Edward out there. It seemed that the entire group was looking to them as unofficial leaders of the expedition. Even Red and Augustine, two apt leaders themselves, followed the informal orders she and Emile gave as to when the party should stop, start, where they should make camp, and what rationing they were allowed for food. What if she let them down? What if she wasn't good enough at being a leader to protect her friends from danger, as they seemed to think she could?

At least she wasn't the sole leader. Emile was there too. And she had no doubt that he could protect them. He was a natural leader, and much stronger than he probably even gave himself credit for, with remarkable wisdom and a strong logical mind. Rhonwen looked over at him again, taking note of the dark, dense brown fur, which seemed darkest in the mane that so often stood on end when he was nervous. His large, honest blue eyes inspired trust, and the way he moved, cautious and shy, removed any fear he could have caused. At least it did for her. She began to wonder what he would look like if he was human, trying to remember his features from the glimpse she'd gotten when she used her hair on him.

A yell from the forest snapped her out of her reverie.

"Halt, villain!" yelled the distinctive voice of Edward, "Halt or I will be forced to set upon thee!"

Emile was off like a shot, going in the direction of the yell. Rhonwen maneuvered her white mare, Millie, and followed him at the fastest she could go, which was a good clip given that Maximus was Millie's father. Still, it took some time to catch up with Emile, as his gigantic shire horse could cover the ground in one bound that took her horse two, and he was riding full speed as well. She could hear the others riding up behind her, and to her surprise she suddenly saw someone flying past her to the right. It was Dianna! She had her poor little palomino mare going so fast you could swear there was a lion chasing it, and, though she was still side saddle, she flew along with the little animal. Rhonwen heard her nervously saying her fiancé's name repeatedly as she rode, and so she sped up Millie to try and catch her. The sound of Emile roaring made all the horses start, as it was very near, but the riders redirected the animals and they burst onto the scene.

It appeared that Edward did find one of the shadows, but no blows had been struck. Emile had launched himself from his horse and flown upon the rider, taking him down from his saddle. He now held him pinned to the ground, and was no longer fierce as much as confused.

"You?"

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><p>Vincent did not remember how the fight ended. He did not remember that he had been wounded or that Eugene had tended his wound. All he could remember when he first awoke was that he, his friend, and possibly their children were in extreme danger. His eyes opened, painfully sluggish, and he felt that he was moving over the ground. Panicking, thinking he was being dragged, he attempted to sit up and was rewarded by a blossoming pain issuing from his shoulder and arm. Stunned, he relaxed again and made a small cry of pain. The moving stopped and he heard someone approaching him.<p>

He tried again to move, but was stopped this time by a gentle but firm hand pushing him back down. Bewildered, he looked to the source of the hand and found it belonged to Eugene. But wait, wasn't he pinned down by a wolf? He felt his brow furrow in confusion.

"Eewzen?" he asked softly.

"It's alright," Eugene said, looking concerned, "You're safe. We're well away from the wolves now. I can see you're in pain, how bad is it?"

Frustrated that he still didn't know what was going on, Vincent ignored Eugene's question entirely and looked around. They were still in the forest, but not where they had been when he last remembered. He looked back to Eugene, who now looked more concerned than before.

"Vincent, can you hear me?" he said, a little louder.

"Yess, I khan heer eew," Vincent replied, his voice curiously slurred, "Wheer am I?"

Looking relieved, Eugene grabbed Vincent's wrist, judging his heartbeat no doubt, and began to explain.

"When the wolves attacked us," he began, "you were injured. That first wolf that came at you managed to bite you before you killed it. You then got the wolf off of me and we fought off the rest of them together. You passed out after they ran away and I got you away from the site and bandaged your wound. We're about two miles away from that place now. How bad is the pain, Vincent? I need to know."

Vincent thought about what he had just heard for a minute before he answered. Eugene fidgeted nervously, but he didn't interrupt as he could most likely see that Vincent was trying to understand.

"Where did the wolves go?" Vincent asked after a while, his voice more clear now.

"We drove them off and they ran back to where they came from," Eugene said patiently, still not getting an answer to his question, "Don't you remember? You pulled the wolf off of me, and then we drove the rest of them off together."

"I don't remember," said Vincent groggily.

"What's the last thing you do remember?" Eugene asked, walking around the sled to Maximus to untie the poles.

"A wolf jumped at me," Vincent said, knitting his brow again, "And I saw one jump onto you through the corner of my eye. That's it."

The sled dropped slightly and Vincent moaned involuntarily. He could not lift his head enough to see what Eugene was doing, but he could almost sense his concerned glance. The sled dropped again after a few minutes, so that Vincent was now flat on the ground. This time he was more prepared, so all he did was flinch, but he hoped there would be no more great movement. No such luck.

"Ok," replied Eugene, coming back into Vincent's line of sight, "I'm going to lift you up now, do you think you can take it?"

Vincent had never been one to back down from a challenge, especially not one given by a short, skinny nincompoop who stood in awe of the fighting power of frying pans. He gave Eugene a significant glare and nodded his head gruffly. Eugene put his arm under Vincent's good arm, and tried to lift him as gently as possible from the sled. Vincent moaned, tried to walk a few paces, but soon grew lightheaded and drooped onto Eugene's shoulder. Eugene half carried and half dragged the larger man to the sleeping pad he had laid out for him, and tried, with limited success, to set his large burden down gently. Vincent, now very close to unconsciousness again, moaned, but soon settled significantly. The last thing he saw before he lost consciousness again was Eugene setting up tent poles over him.

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><p>Belle and Rapunzel had set off from the castle on horseback, following the trail of their husbands. They were both grinning madly, almost giddy with the thought of joining in the action instead of waiting in the palace as they had been. Neither was one to hide when their loved ones were in danger, and they had never felt more natural than right now, running after their husbands and children. Rapunzel looked over to Belle, smiling coyly and speeding up her horse. Belle did likewise and soon they were racing along the trail, covering twice as much ground as their husbands possibly could have while tracking. They would catch up to them in no time.<p>

In the back of Rapunzel's mind, she was still heavily aware of the intense, biting worry she felt for her daughter, and the worry for her husband in a forest full of wolves, but now that she was out here, doing something to help them, in had lessened. Her husband and daughter were capable of defending themselves, but Rapunzel never felt too comfortable when either chose to face danger without her. Motherly instinct, she suspected. She wanted to be there to take care of them, even though she knew they didn't always need help.

After a short time the ladies slowed their pace again, not wanting to wear out their horses with too much continued running. They continued at a decent but manageable trot, watching their husbands' tracks carefully and following their trail rather easily, as they were not trying to hide it. With any luck, they would catch up to them within a day and pass their information on to them.

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><p>Emile's puzzlement at the intruders was only just beginning, apparently. He thought that he couldn't be more confused about their purpose in following them so slyly, and that when he found them it would make the problem less difficult. So much for that idea. When Emile charged through the woods towards Edward's location, he was thinking only to save his friend and take on the threat himself. His thoughts were the same when he leaped from his horse and dismounted the other rider. If he managed to get some information out of the rider, then perhaps the mystery would be easily solved and he could rest easy, knowing his friends were safe. Was it possible to be both wrong and right at the same time?<p>

Emile knew the face he saw when he attacked the other rider. It was Akif, one of Akram's irritating brothers. So Emile was wrong in thinking that these people were a threat, as they were people he knew. Then again, they had acted like a threat before, so what would stop them now? He at least knew that they couldn't be trying to drag them back to the castle, because they would have tried already if they were, right? But maybe they were just waiting for their chance. A million questions swirled around in his brain as he heard the others of their party riding up behind them, but all his mouth seemed to be able to pronounce was one word.

"You?" he said to the terrified boy he had pinned to the ground.

"Please," he boy begged, "Don't hurt me!"

Emile blinked, stunned a bit. Hurt him? Then he realized that he was probably scaring the fellow half out of his wits by pinning him to the ground, and so stood up and allowed the other to do likewise. He grabbed his shirt and lifted him though, as he could see he was about to make a break for it, and rephrased his question.

"It's been you following us?" he asked.

The other boy was silent, and limp as a rag in terror. Emile rolled his eyes and pushed him roughly towards Edward, hoping he would have better luck. Unfortunately, Edward didn't even see the boy, as he was too busy in a fond embrace with his fiancé, who was crying again and saying something about her fear of losing Edward. Strongly tempted to roll his eyes again, Emile looked to the other members of his party for someone who would be less intimidating than himself in the delivery of the question. Rhonwen rode forward and dismounted, as if she read his thoughts. She walked up to Akif and smiled nicely, as if they were meeting over afternoon tea.

"Good day, Prince Akif," she said simply, "We didn't fancy seeing you out here, so far away from where we last saw you. Would you mind explaining…"

It seemed to diplomacy idea was too much for Red at this particular moment, as she cut Rhonwen off by yelling over to Akif, face furious.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she exclaimed, earning an appreciative smile from Augustine and a gasp of feminine disbelief from Dianna.

Rhonwen rolled her eyes fondly, then set those large eyes on Akif expectantly, as if that had been the most polite sentence she had ever heard. Akif gulped and began to babble a bit, still clearly very shaken by being physically launched from his horse by an angry Emile. Eventually, though, he managed a few words.

"I was just…in the area?" he said, his voice still quivering.

Emile couldn't help it. He rolled his eyes again, and looked to Rhonwen in an exasperated way. Rhonwen smiled slightly and began again.

"Akif, may I call you Akif?" she said sweetly. He nodded and she continued, "You and I both know that that's not really…"

"That's a load of bull!" called out Red again.

"What she said," Rhonwen said, gesturing over her shoulder at Red, "We're not going to hurt you, but we would like to know the truth."

"Who says we're not gonna hurt him?" said Red indignantly.

At this point Rhonwen sighed and gave Red a significant glance over her shoulder, which meant, if Emile interpreted correctly, please shut up. Then she turned back to Akif and smiled, with just a little strain showing through the mask of sweetness. Akif looked at her incredulously, then Emile, who couldn't help but scowl a bit at him. He didn't know why Akif was there, nor did he understand why the boy was so reluctant to speak, but with every passing moment he became a little more frustrated.

"I…I…I can't tell you!" he stuttered, struggling a little bit to escape Emile's grasp. Emile realized how uncomfortable it must be and let his feet touch the ground, but did not relax his hold on the young man's shirt.

"Why not?" asked Rhonwen, coming a little closer.

Akif remained silent and Emile felt his nerves beginning to crack. He had only ever gotten this frustrated before when dealing with his father. Feeling the threat towards his friends was bad enough, but finding that it was someone he was familiar with, someone who he couldn't just take his frustration out on, only made the situation worse. Every instinct in his body was telling him to defend Rhonwen and his friends when there was nobody he could defend them from. Rhonwen must have seen the hair on the back of his neck standing up again, and met his eyes squarely, warning him not to lose it. He forced himself to calm down, and Rhonwen continued to look at Akif expectantly, as if she could wait all day. That, itself, was just as frustrating, but in a more tolerable way as it came from Rhonwen.

Then the human sounding whistling emanating from the forest around them took the place of greatest importance in his mind, and he almost forgot Akif and his frustration with him. Riders' signals were flying to and fro around them, and he could tell that whoever the other riders were, they were closing in a tight circle around the group. He once again turned to Akif in frustration, lifting him to be face to face.

"Tell your friends to come out of hiding and explain themselves," he said menacingly, "I'm tired of your games."

"Emile, you should put him down," said Rhonwen calmly, though her eyes widened, "We're not going to accomplish anything by threatening him."

"Don't you hear them?" he said, meeting her eyes, "The other riders are circling us. They're signaling each other with whistles."

Rhonwen never got the chance to say whether or not she heard them, as the said riders broke into the open at that moment, in a full circle around the small clearing where the party stood, just as Emile had suspected. On recognizing them all as Akram's brothers, he dropped Akif and turned, looking for Ahmed, who was undoubtedly the leader. On spotting him, he narrowed his eyes and growled. Ahmed look disconcerted for a moment before his bravado set in and a cocky smile plastered itself onto his face.

"Busted," he said simply.

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><p><strong>There. A new chapter. And doesn't it feel great! Please review, I love feedback! It helps me fight the demon! <strong>


	18. Chapter 18

**And that's happily another chapter out on time! Happy days, sweet boisenberry apple pie! **

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><p>Eugene had set up a camp site around Vincent after he had moved him off of the liter. He lit a fire and redressed Vincent's wound. The wound itself was improving, but Vincent had yet to wake up again and Eugene was hesitant to move him until he did. He had lost a lot of blood, and moving him could increase the risk of reopening the wound and causing more blood loss. So he decided that they would stay put for a while. The choice was a very difficult one and that was a fact. While he was sitting here, tending his fire, his Rhoni and her friends were out there on their own, endangering their lives in these savage woods, infested with wolves and many other predators. Yet he could not move Vincent, and he could not leave him alone. All he could do was wait and hope he had trained his daughter well enough that she could take care of herself in this environment.<p>

Eugene poked the fire with a stick again, then stood and checked Vincent again. No change. He sighed and was about to return to his fire when he heard an irritating squawking sound coming from above him. Recognizing the sound as the call of a parrot, he looked up and waved eagerly to the bird. Iago flew down to him and landed on the tent pole above Vincent.

"WHAT, NO PERCH?" the bird asked sarcastically.

"You're lucky to have anywhere to land, nuisance," said Eugene, both happy and annoyed to see the feathered messenger, "Just say the message you came to deliver."

"TOUCHY," Iago said, fully aware that Eugene needed him and so couldn't kill him as he'd really like to, "I JUST CAME TO TELL YOU THAT YOUR WIFE AND VINCENT'S WIFE FOUND A CLUE TO WHERE THE KIDDIES ARE GOING. SPEAKING OF VINCENT, WHERE IS HE?"

"He's in the tent," answered Eugene impatiently, "Tell me where they're going!"

"WELL," Iago started, "THE QUEENS SAID THAT THEY HAD FOUND A BOOK WHICH ONLY THE CHILDREN COULD HAVE MOVED, AND THAT THEY WILL KEEP SEARCHING UNTIL THEY FIND MORE."

Eugene bit his lip to hold back his disappointment. Reading between the lines he could understand that, although they would keep looking, Rapunzel and the other royals they had left behind had found nothing substantial that would help their children.

"SHEESH!" Iago said, breaking Eugene from his reverie, "DOES THIS VINCENT GUY EVEN CARE WHERE THEY ARE? I MEAN I'M NOT EXACTLY A QUIET CREATURE AND HE'S JUST KEPT SLEEPING THIS WHOLE TIME!"

That was enough to send Eugene over the edge.

"Shut up, idiot bird, and listen! I've got a message for you to take back to our wives," he said, barely holding himself back from wringing Iago's neck like a chicken, "Tell them that our progress in the search has been halted. We ran into a group of hunting wolves. Vincent was injured, and cannot be moved, nor can I leave him alone."

Eugene paused to catch his breath and Iago took his opportunity to speak.

"OH, MAN!" he said rudely, "YOU COULD HAVE TOLD ME HE WAS WOUNDED! I WOULDN'T HAVE INSULTED HIM THEN! MAYBE…STILL, IF YOU WANT A CLEAR MESSAGE EVERY DETAIL SHOULD BE SHARED WITH ME THE MOMENT I…"

"SHUT UP!" Eugene yelled, "I wasn't finished! I was about to say that the palace should send some more men, some to take Vincent back and at least one to continue on with me! Do you have all that?"

"NO CALL TO BE INSULTING!" the parrot squawked, "I'M VERY GOOD AT REMEMBERING THINGS LIKE THAT!"

"Good!" Eugene said back, "So take the message then!"

"WHAT, NO FOOD FOR THE HARD WORKING MESSANGER?" Iago asked hopefully.

"Shoo!" said Eugene, flapping his hands at the bird.

Iago flew away, muttering to himself about the rudeness of other kingdoms, how people were so stupid to say shoo to a bird when they wanted it to go, as if that would scare it away, and how he was half starved to death and skin, bones and feathers would be all that was left by the time he got back. Eugene rolled his eyes, shook his head, and turned to check on Vincent again. Then he sat down next to the fire, poked it with a stick again, and laid his head on his hands, his impatience to move on or do something wearing at his soul.

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><p>The two queens had cleaned up their overnight campsite hours ago already, and were again making progress. As they rode, Belle looked at the forest around her. It brought back so many memories. She had ridden through woods exactly like this that night when she ran away from Vincent. He had been the Beast then, of course, but she no longer had any differentiation between the two. He was the same man, no matter what physical form she found him in.<p>

She remembered that that was when she had really allowed herself to see Vincent as anything but evil incarnate. She had run away after he exploded on her, more angry then afraid, and unwisely did so at night, when wolves most frequently hunt. She knew she should have known better, but she hadn't been thinking clearly in her anger and thought she could brave her way through if only to get away. Then Vincent saved her life. His risked himself, which until that moment she thought was the most important thing in the world to him, and fought the wolves off of her. She didn't know it then, but when she looked back at that night after having married him and had his child, she realized that that was the night she fell in love with him.

Where was he now?

Belle looked to Rapunzel in an attempt to distract herself from these thoughts that pierced her heart like a knife. But it was of little aid to look to her, as Belle could tell that Rapunzel was probably thinking very similar thoughts to her own. She had a worried, absent expression that Belle recognized well after years of being a wife and mother. She had to do something to distract both of them and keep up morale, so she started up a conversation on the only topic either could think about.

"Vincent knows these woods very well," she remarked, "You see how he guides them through forest trails of the deer to make better time?"

Rapunzel looked down at the tracks and smiled.

"Who says it's not Eugene guiding them?" she asked, "He was a world class thief, in the day, and he led me to the city on trails much like these."

"Vincent knows the land though," Belle said, "He once saved my life in a forest like this. He arrived in the nick of time, even though I had a head start and was riding a horse."

"Eugene broke out of a heavily guarded prison with the help of only some half drunk mugs, a horse, and his shear will to save me from Gothel," Rapunzel declared, knowing she was exaggerating a little but not caring.

"Vincent fought the largest man in my village for me," said Belle, "And refused to kill him, even when he would have done the same. He was stabbed in the back for my sake, and it was only unexpected magic that saved his life."

"Eugene was stabbed too, when Gothel ambushed him," Rapunzel said excitedly, "And he cut my hair before I had the chance to heal him, just to keep me safe from her. Magic was all that saved him too, and it was far from expected."

The following game of "my horse is bigger than your horse" was long, grossly exaggerated, and thoroughly enjoyed by both ladies as they portrayed their husband's exploits in the best possible light. When it ended, both were smiling and their faces were flushed. Then their worry made a fast rebound and both simultaneously changed expressions from sheer confidence to great disturbance. Belle looked at Rapunzel and the two locked eyes.

"He'll be fine," Belle said to Rapunzel, trying to sound reassuring.

"So will yours," Rapunzel replied. They rode in silence after that for about fifteen minutes, both too tired from their worry to try conversation again. Then Belle spotted a red dot in the sky and became very excited. It was the bird! She pointed it out to Rapunzel and the two started calling to it jubilantly. Iago, with a confused expression, flew down to them and landed on the head of Belle's horse, causing the animal's ears to flick and earning a whiny of irritation.

"MY LADIES!" he said in evident surprise, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? I WAS JUST ON MY WAY BACK TO THE CASTLE TO DELIVER A MESSAGE TO YOU, AND I WOULD HAVE FOUND YOU AWOL! IF YOU WANT MESSAGES TO BE DELIVERED IN A TIMELY FASION THEN YOU SHOULD STAY WHERE THE MESSANGER THINKS HE'S SUPPOSED TO MEET YOU!"

Belle and Rapunzel both laughed at the bird's complaining, too happy to see him to be irritated.

"We're sorry Iago," said Rapunzel smilingly, "But I'm glad we saw you. What message do you have for us?"

"OH, NO, LADY!" the bird snapped, "I'M NOT TALKING UNTIL YOU GIVE ME SOMETHING TO EAT! YOUR HUSBAND REFUSED BECAUSE EHE DIDN'T LIKE MY MESSAGE!"

Belle and Rapunzel both laughed and Rapunzel pulled some grain out of her saddlebag and held it out to the bird. He ate it all, somehow managing to complain while he was doing so, and when he finished the two women looked at him most eagerly. He cleared his throat and began.

"WELL," he said, looking a bit uncertain, "I'M AFRAID IT'S NOT VERY GOOD NEWS FROM YOUR HUSBANDS."

He paused as both women's faces fell then continued swiftly.

"KING VINCENT HAS BEEN WOUNDED," HE SAID SIMPLY, "THEY MET SOME WOLVES ALONG THE WAY. KING EUGENE SAID THAT HE CAN'T BE MOVED RIGHT NOW, AND THAT HE CAN'T LEAVE HIM ALONE, SO THEY HAD TO STOP. HE TOLD ME TO TELL YOU TO SEND SOME MORE MEN FROM THE CASTLE TO HELP THEM OUT AND AT LEAST ABOUT THREE AS FAR AS I COULD TELL."

There was a significant moment of silence, when the queens were too shocked to speak and Iago, for once, could find nothing to say. Finally, Belle straitened and began to speak.

"Thank you for delivering the message, Iago," she said solemnly, "I want you to keep flying for the castle and do exactly as Eugene told you to do. Give them the same message, and tell them that we are already out here and closer to them, so we will help them until the aid arrives. Tell me, how far are they?"

"ABOUT THREE MILES, THAT WAY," Iago said, gesturing with his wing towards the southeast, "THE TRACKS GET A LITTLE HARDER TO FOLLOW SOON, BECAUSE THEY WERE TRYING TO THOW OFF THE WOLVES AND HAD SOME SORT OF CART, AS FAR AS I COULD TELL."

"Thank you Iago," said Rapunzel, "You've been really helpful. Go on your way to the castle now, we'll need the help."

And at that the bird flew off and so did the two queens, riding as swiftly as they could in the direction the bird had pointed them, desperate to get to their husbands.

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><p>Rhonwen thought that one of the brothers showing up out of the blue probably mean that they were all there, somehow, but she didn't fully believe it until they all showed themselves. They had been following them all that way? Why? What could they possibly have to gain? She found it hard to believe that anyone could put that much effort into something just to irritate others, but she was beginning to think it was to only explanation. That's why she didn't really blame Emile for being just a little upset when Ahmed said that fateful word. Busted.<p>

"WHAT?" Emile shouted, causing the horses to start again.

"You heard me," said Ahmed, managing to cover most of his uncertainty at Emile's volume, "Did you losers really think you could get away with just running away? You had to know someone saw you; I can't believe you would be so stupid as to think we didn't notice how weird you were all acting."

"We went to great trouble not to notice your weirdness!" snapped Red, "I suppose it was naïve to assume you'd do likewise!"

"You can wisecrack all you want, but that doesn't alter the fact that you're caught and we're taking you back home," Ahmed said, sneering at Red immaturely, "You're all just going to get yourselves killed out here."

"Brother," Akram said, obviously trying to solve to problem, "You don't even know why we came out here."

"No, I don't, because it doesn't matter," Ahmed said flatly, "What matters is that I came here to drag you wimpy butt back home so you don't end up wolf chow!"

"Prince Ahmed," started Rhonwen, in her own attempt at diplomacy, "Would you be so kind as to…?"

"Silence, woman!" Ahmed snapped, "Whatever your reason to come here, you, my brother, and all the rest are turning around now! End of discussion!"

"IF YOU SPEAK TO HER LIKE THAT AGAIN YOU'LL UNDERSTAND THE FULLNESS OF WHY WE CAME!" bellowed Emile, gaining Ahmed's full attention for understandable reasons, "NOW STOP COMMANDING US FROM YOUR HIGH HORSE, BEFORE I PULL YOU DOWN OFF OF IT!"

Every hair on Emile's body was standing strait up, his teeth were bared, and the horses had all backed instinctively away from him. Those same instincts were causing Ahmed's eyes to widen about two time's more than any of the other's present, which was saying something. Even Emile's friends had stiffened, and Rhonwen was ashamed to notice that she was amongst them. But, after a few moments, Emile calmed and his fur lay down again for the most part. Cooler now, he addressed Ahmed again in a quieter tone.

"We left because we have a mission to fulfill," he said, almost calmly, "If you will all dismount and stop threatening us, mocking us, and trying to be superior to us, we will explain that mission to you. If not, I suggest you go home now, because there's no way in hell you can take us home by force."

Ahmed pulled his horse back a few more paces, clearly still intimidated, and for a moment everything was very still. After a while Ahmed's face changed from pure fear to nervous thought. His brothers were all looking to him, anticipating what his next command might be. Some even put hands on the handles of their swords. But, after a while, Ahmed did the last thing they were expecting. He dismounted. After doing so, he stood by his horse awkwardly for a moment, still obviously too uneasy to approach Emile, but at least trying. Rhonwen figured that was as good a time as any to intervene.

"Prince Ahmed," she said, walking over to him, "Would you like to come over and sit with us? We'll all give the horses a break for a while and sort this whole mess out."

Ahmed nodded and Rhonwen looked to the others in her party, silently telling those who were mounted to dismount and sit in the center of the clearing, and she, Emile, and Ahmed were doing now. She saw Ahmed look to his brothers in the same way, a very good sign. She smiled her best diplomat's smile, to relieve the tension, and began the explanation. The other's joined in, after a while, and soon the whole story had been told. Throughout this entire process Ahmed was remarkable quiet, leaving the few questions that needed asking to his brothers. When the story was finally over, there was a long, silent pause, as Ahmed was clearly formulating what to say. Eventually, though, he did speak.

"I understand what you're trying to do," he said, his tone surprisingly civil and diplomatic, "And do not misunderstand me, I find it admirable. Fighting a witch and breaking some spells seems like a fun time, and a great adventure. But I can't go back and just let you guys continue on."

"I knew diplomacy was too much to expect from him," said Red sullenly, "He didn't listen to a word you said."

"No," said Ahmed, "I did listen. I know what your plan is and I just said I understand it. But another thing I understand is that you're all more likely to get yourselves killed than to kill a witch. She's been around for thousands of years now and probably fought hundreds of knuckleheads like you, who would try to hunt her down."

"Hey!" said Augustine sharply, "Who's been acting like the jerk up until this point? Why should you be calling us knuckleheads?"

"Because, apparently, I'm smarter," Ahmed said, with one of his smirks, "I know when I'm outmatched. But, I can't stop you from doing as you like, so I'll just make one request."

Rhonwen stopped the others with a gesture as they began to react to his comment about their intelligence, and looked to Emile. He nodded and looked at Ahmed. She turned to Ahmed herself, and asked the necessary question.

"What is your request?" she asked simply.

"I ask that, when you leave to continue your "quest," or whatever you call it, you leave my younger brother Akram here with me."

Rhonwen's eyes widened. That wasn't what she was expecting. She was expecting something juvenile, like a request for a kiss from one of the girl's. She looked to Emile and found that his expression was as surprised as hers. She was so shocked that she didn't even know what to say. Emile picked up on that and continued where she left off.

"I'm afraid that's not our choice," he said, his gravelly voice almost smooth when it was calm, "We can't just trade Akram to you as a part of a deal. Akram, what do you want to do?"

Emile turned to Akram inquisitively. Akram blinked, and then looked uncertain. He looked around the circle to his friends, his gaze lingering a while on Melody. He seemed to make up his mind.

"I'm staying with you guys," he said surely, "I chose to go on this trip and I'm not turning back now."

Emile and Rhonwen looked back to Ahmed. This time it was their turn to be uncertain. Rhonwen couldn't help but wonder what the brother's could possibly do about their brother's choice. They had already admitted that they were outmatched, and fighting would threaten their brother as well as them, so how could they enforce their request?

"I see," said Ahmed, his tone clearly adding the statement of his irritation with this understanding, "We have no other choice then."

Ahmed stood and his brothers followed suit once again. Rhonwen stood when she saw Ahmed start to, as did Emile, and their party followed their example. The tension built up again as almost everyone mentally prepared to fight each other. Then Ahmed spoke again.

"I don't like this," he said, "And normally I don't do anything I like. But for this, I have to make an exception. I can't get my idiot little brother to come with us, and I can't force any of you to come back, so I'm left with only one option. We're coming with you."

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><p><strong>And, I bet that's not what you were expecting from him, huh? hehehe! yay, multi-dimensional characters! But don't wory, this isn't OOC. He's still a jerk.<strong>

**Please review! the demons writer's block has been weakened, but it needs consistant battering to keep it tame!**


	19. Chapter 19

**I know I didn't get this out there this morning, but I consider my due date to be midnight tonight, so I'm still on time. Yay! I hope you guys enjoy this next chapter, it was a lot of fun to write.**

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><p>When Rapunzel heard the news that her husband was practically alone in the woods trying to fend for himself, care for Vincent, and look for their children she could almost feel her heart stop beating. He was her life! If anything happened to him she didn't know how she would manage alone! Belle was carefully patient with the bird, and Rapunzel tried to do likewise because they needed him, but she felt impatient just to start running, to find Eugene before something else did. When the bird finally left, both queens were off like a shot, pushing their horses beyond the normal just to lessen the time between worry and finding their husbands.<p>

Rapunzel managed to sneak a look over to Belle while going at breakneck speed, a true testament to her capability as a rider. Belle's brow was furrowed and there were tears in her eyes. Rapunzel could understand how she felt. At least she could take consolation in the fact that the bird, Iago, hadn't mentioned Eugene being injured. Belle must be frantic. Iago didn't even mention how badly hurt Vincent was, only that he couldn't be moved. But he must be pretty seriously hurt, if he can't move.

Rapunzel's gaze quickly went back to the woodland path before her, just in time to miss a tree. She pulled her mare's reigns to leap over a large fallen log, mindful to watch where the horse's feet landed, as Eugene had taught her. Eugene…

He had taught her so much! When he had first found here, she had many talents. She could make her own cloths, candles, and food, in addition to her advanced artistic skills, and she had memorized the few books that Gothel had allowed her access to. This had seemed like a lot, until she left the tower. Sure, those skills were still important, but they were all things normally done inside. She couldn't even saddle a horse, much less ride one. The only self defense she knew was her frying pan, and while that proved effective her lack of technique in stance and experience would have crippled her in a fight with any well trained opponent. She couldn't garden, she couldn't get a fair price in a trade, and she couldn't follow a map. She was naïve and so very young, not really knowing what danger waited for her in the real world because she had never seen it. If it had not been for Eugene, Rapunzel was quite sure that she would never have managed to leave her tower. And if she had, Gothel would have had her back within the day, and removed her from any chance of escape. Rapunzel shuddered on her horse, imagining what her life would have been. Worst of all, her twins, Rhonwen and Rufus, would never have been born.

The thought of them brought a ray of sunshine into her mind, as it usually did. Rhonwen sitting in the garden as a child, braiding flowers into her hair with her maids. Rufus gallivanting around the castle with his wooden sword, playing a complicated game of cops and robbers with his father, who was the robber, as usual. Rhonwen practicing her swordsmanship with Eugene, while Maximus dueled with her brother on the opposite court. Rufus hanging over the third floor banister, tied up in his sister's hair and none too pleased about it. Every thought brought comfort to their mother, while at the same time her urgency grew. Rapunzel's little boy was safe at home, taking care of the kingdom. Where was her little girl now?

Rapunzel tried to suppress the negative thoughts, leaning down closer to her horse as she sped it along the path. But she could tell she was failing, as tears were gathering in her eyes and her nose was feeling the side effects. She wiped both to keep her eyes on the path, and sent up a silent prayer. _Please let them be alright! Oh please, please let them be alright!_

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><p>Vincent did not remember falling asleep but he must have. He awoke with a start when he heard something break a stick in the forest, not too far from where he lay. For a minute he couldn't remember where he was, or how he got there. Gradually though, as he stared as the green tarp which was to top of his tent, his memory filled him in on what was going on. Emile and the other young heirs and heiresses left the castle unexpectedly, sending their parents into a panic and forcing him and Eugene to go looking for them. They met with wolves…his mind was still a little unclear on that one, but it was better than before, as he could remember pulling the wolf off of Eugene. Where was he now?<p>

He moved a little bit to look around him, which didn't help him at all in figuring out where he was. All he could see was that he was in a tent. But the movement did seem to draw some attention from Eugene, who entered the tent shortly after. He looked at Vincent's wound, which was unpleasant, and asked a few questions about what he was feeling. Vincent hated being hurt, and hated being cared for by anyone accept Belle, but he put up with it, as it seemed his only option.

"Well, you seem to be doing ok," said Eugene finally, "You had me worried for a while there."

"Have we moved? How far are we from the children now?" Vincent asked impatiently.

"We are probably further from them than before," replied Eugene wearily, "We had to stop for a while. I couldn't let the cart bounce you around and split your wound open again, so we stayed put."

"How long have we been staying here?" Vincent asked, his brow furrowing.

"Three days," said Eugene, his voice dull, "We've been here three days."

"Three days while our children speed away towards danger," Vincent remarked, "And all because of me. You should have just left me here."

"What?" Eugene asked incredulously, "I couldn't leave you here! You would have been found and eaten by one of the lovely inhabitants of your woods! The entire reason I stopped was to save your life!"

"That is my point!" said Vincent angrily, "I would have been more at peace with you moving on and risking my life than staying and risking the children's lives!"

"And what would I say to your son, when I found him?" Eugene demanded, "I'm sorry, but I left your father in the woods, alone and unconscious, so that I could come get you. It's what he would have wanted!"

"I can't..." Vincent started to reply, but both froze when they heard something approaching.

Horses' hooves pounded on the forest floor, and they were going at an impressive speed too, from what the listeners could tell. Vincent did not understand who it could be, but he saw Eugene getting a hopeful look on his face and figure it must be good. Perhaps Eugene had sent a message while Vincent was unconscious? He listened intently to the pounding, which was quickly growing louder. He could tell now that there were two horses, running almost frantically side by side. But why would the guards be going in such a hurry that they would risk such a quick pace in the dense forest? They must be some of his own guards, or they wouldn't know the land enough to even try that speed.

As the horses grew closer, Eugene left the tent and Vincent half sat up, leaning on his right arm. He could see Eugene waving to the horses, who must have just come within sight. As they grew closer, he started smiling like an idiot and waving to them with his entire body, jumping up and down. Vincent was about to conclude that he was right all along in thinking Eugene was insane when one of the horsemen came within sight of the tent and launched himself off of the horse onto Eugene, who laughed in a pained sort of way. Then Vincent saw that this wasn't a horseman, per say, but a horsewoman. Eugene had just been forcefully hugging by his wife.

"Eugene!" she said, loud enough for anything in the forest to hear, "I found you! You're all right! I was so worried!"

"Well, I was all right," Eugene said sarcastically, sitting up and holding his affectionate wife on his lap in a deep embrace, "I'm happy to see you too, darling."

"Eugene," said the other rider, who was still out of Vincent's line of sight but whose voice he recognized in an instant, "How is Vincent?"

"Why don't you come here and find out for yourself?" Vincent called out, smiling.

He heard Belle dismount and run to the tent. Her beautiful face appeared in the entrance, her hair tousled by the swift ride and her hazel eyes filling with tears. The two didn't even speak a word to each other. They just quickly embraced, Belle carefully avoiding the bulk of the bandage on his shoulder. Vincent felt Belle begin to cry on his shoulder and held her closer. He was now just a bit grateful to Eugene for not leaving him. If he had died he would never have seen her again. After a few long moments of embracing, Belle gently pushed herself further from him and took a look at his wound. She gasped when she lifted the bandage.

"Vincent," she said breathlessly.

"I'm going to be fine," he said reassuringly, "I just have to take it easy for a little while."

"Your arm was dislocated, am I right?" she asked, looking at the tender bruising of his shoulder joint.

"Yes," he replied readily, a much better patient than he was for Eugene, "That's what the wolves usually aim for, disabling movement."

"Your arm looks terrible," she said plainly, looking at the deep slashing cuts that were only just beginning to heal.

"Really?" he said, trying to lighten the mood, "Eugene told me it looked good."

"I said you looked like you were doing well," said Eugene, hearing this, "I would never say you look good."

"Ha!" said Vincent, "At least I'm more attractive than you, you short skinny ninny!"

The two queens smiled at their husbands' bickering, and it accomplished the goal of lightening the mood. Belle, at least, looked satisfied that Vincent was going to recover, as he was the same cantankerous man she was used to. Vincent quietly allowed her to finish examining and re-cleaning the wound, and the camp became rather peaceful for a while. Eventually, Eugene and Rapunzel began talking, and Vincent and Belle threw in comments here and there when they saw fit.

"So how did you two get out here so fast?" Eugene asked Rapunzel, who was still seated on his lap with no intention of moving, "You didn't run the horses like that all the way did you?"

"Oh, no, of course we didn't," Rapunzel replied, "They would have collapsed of exhaustion miles before we reached you. We only ran them like that after we met with Iago."

"The bird?" Vincent asked, trying to catch up on what he had missed.

"Yes, we saw him flying towards the castle and flagged him down," continued Rapunzel, "He told us about Vincent being hurt and you two being stranded out here. We picked up a lot of speed after that."

"How'd you get out here in the first place?" Eugene asked curiously, "I thought we had agreed that two would go faster than a bigger group. Not that I'm not extremely happy to see you, just wondering is all."

And so Belle and Rapunzel laid down the entire story of finding the book, investigating it thoroughly, and eventually discovering the children's plan by putting their heads together. The kings sat back and listened to their wives' voices, which fell on happy ears. However they had ended up here, they had brought hope, joy, and a little direction to the journey. And, even though Vincent would prefer that his wife was safe at home, he was still glad to have her company. He suspected Eugene felt likewise.

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><p>Two days after the meeting held with Ahmed and the others in the clearing, and one day after their parents reunited so far away, the party of royal children, now significantly larger, had made their way to the border of the southern kingdom. Emile was riding at the head of the party with Rhonwen again, as their riding formation did not really change. That is, accept for the annoyances that were Akram's many brothers and the constant dares to racing, requests for a different position away from a brother, and general aggravation of the entire group. Emile was sorely tempted to roll his eyes when he heard yet another debate break out between Red and Ahmed, which became a three way battle as Augustine tried to come into it on Red's side and she started yelling at him for thinking she needed help. It had been a long two days.<p>

Emile looked over to Rhonwen, whose expression was similar to his own. Then, simultaneously, they both yelled back to the arguing royals.

"Knock it off, you guys!" Rhonwen called.

"Shut up or I'll finish the argument!" yelled Emile.

They heard some discontented grumbling from the guilty parties, but the arguing stopped for the moment. They looked at each other and smile grimly, then held up their right hands in the riders signal for a halt. Those behind them followed suit, as did the next pair. However, judging by the whinnies and indignant remarks, one pair forgot to signal and there was a breakdown in order for a few moments as every riding pair behind them bumped the back of the horses in front of them. Now Emile didn't resist temptation. He rolled his eyes, for what felt like the hundredth time that day, and dismounted. Rhonwen did the same and so did the rest of the group. Emile tied his horse and got some dried beef from his saddlebag, needing desperately to bite something. While he chewed viciously, Rhonwen announced that they would stop here to eat and rest the horses. Nobody seemed to dispute this, for once, and so everyone got out some food and began eating. Rhonwen walked over and sat next to Emile.

"Is it just me, or are we not going to be able to take much more of this?" she asked him sarcastically.

"I'm half tempted to follow Red's first idea, after they announced that they were coming," he replied, with equal wry humor.

Red's suggestion had been to push them off the first cliff they rode by. And, while it was immensely popular as a fantasy in the group, they had already passed two deep holes in the ground of the forest and none had taken up the idea.

Rhonwen pulled out her little bottle of cordial and drank a few sips. Emile gulped a little of his own. She smiled at him humorously, and gulped it herself. Just the sight of her gulping something was enough to make Emile smile. It seemed so out of place, with her perfect table manners. They were about to begin talking again, about something involving the trip but not completely bound to it, when Adnan started laughing not too far from where they were.

"Hahahaha!" he chortled, drawing his brothers' attention, "The lady drinks just like the Beast! What a perfect couple!"

All the brothers began laughing, and Emile withdrew a little, embarrassed. Rhonwen, seeing this, turned a little red, but not with embarrassment.

"He has a name you know!" she shouted, stomping over to the brothers, "And, so help me, if you call him the "Beast" again I'll shove you all off a cliff myself!"

The brothers all started laughing harder when she said this, partially because of her small stature which made her anger and her statement almost cute, and partially because they could tell that it would bug her if they did so. Now it was Emile's turn to get a little riled.

"Knock it off," he growled, moving closer, "Or I'll help her."

The brothers stopped laughing immediately and simultaneously, as their fear of Emile brought on by his display in the clearing had not yet ceased. They quickly turned around, nervously finding somewhere else to sit, and Emile and Rhonwen returned to their seat, almost bashful.

"Thank you," Emile said after a moment's pause, "You didn't need to do that."

"Of course I did," Rhonwen said quickly, her expression confused, "You did the same for me."

"Well, yes," said Emile, not sure what to make of the situation, "But I couldn't just let them laugh at you. And you didn't have to correct them. I know that I'm the Beast."

For a moment Rhonwen was silent. Emile was looking at the ground, not really sure that he should have said that, but agreeing with it anyway. He was the Beast; he was cursed. That was just the way his life was. And it had gained him friends, who decided to go on this journey to help him. He was still slightly ashamed of it, but at least he wasn't alone anymore. Then, Rhonwen surprised him by taking his face in her little hands and turning it to her.

"You are not the Beast," she said surely, "You're Emile."

She let go of his face and smiled at him, not shying away from eye contact as so many others had his entire life. And Emile couldn't help but smile back.

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><p><strong>Tada! Yay story! Yay plot! Yay to lots more reviews!<strong>


	20. Chapter 20

**Hey guys! Sorry for the delay, I went on a trip and forgot to update first. And I even had this one ready ahead of time! (mentally slaps forehead) But here it is now, hope you like it!**

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><p>Rhonwen had started to think that they would never make it to the border of the Southern Kingdom. She had her doubts before the brothers joined their group, and after that she felt they would probably end up splitting at the seams because of all the tension. So when they were finally standing four yards away from the border of the Southern Kingdom, she could hardly believe it. And, judging from everyone else's expressions, they felt about the same way she did. Had they really done this? Then the fact that they were standing right there sunk in, and everyone simultaneously began rejoicing.<p>

Everyone, that is, except for Emile. She laughed along with Red, but notice him out of the corner of her eye. Emile had dismounted, but he wasn't moving. He just stood, staring at the border. Rhonwen walked over to him and cleared her throat. He didn't even seem to hear her. His horse-like ears did not flick in her direction. She reached out and touched his arm. He started a little bit and looked at her.

"Is there something wrong?" she said bluntly, as she could see he was worried.

"Nothing that involves the group," he replied evasively.

"I didn't ask if it involved the group," she said, trying to draw him out, "I asked if there was something wrong. Which you just said there was, so what's wrong?"

Emile didn't speak for a moment, but this time she could tell he could hear her because one ear was flicked her way. She waited patiently for him to formulate his answer.

"I…" he began after a moment, "It's just that…there are a lot of people down there."

Rhonwen looked down towards the border. All she could see was woods, which had thinned considerably in the last mile. She knew, though, that the border was not far away from a thriving city called Osimandias in the Southern Kingdom, crowded with people. And maybe Emile could even hear those people from here, or at least echoes of them going about their daily lives. This was a big problem.

"We'll find a way to go around the city," she said simply, "Cut through the outskirts."

"Even in the outskirts there are people," Emile said quietly.

"Then we'll be careful," she replied again, refusing to let his worry win, "We'll travel at night, when there aren't as many people. You can wear a cloak and walk behind your horse so that it shields you from view. We're going to get through, Emile."

Emile didn't answer this with words. He just flicked his ears nervously, and his facial expression got a bit more fearful. Then Rhonwen understood. He wasn't worried that they wouldn't get past; he was worried because he was afraid of people. She took a step closer to him and grabbed his hand in both of hers.

"Don't worry," she said simply.

He nodded his head, and smiled a little, but she could tell that he was only trying to comfort her. He was still as scared as ever.

"We've gotten this far," he said after a while, "Can't go back now."

"That's right," she said, pulling towards the others, "We have gotten this far, largely because of you. So don't worry, we'll get through whatever the world throws at us. Just look at what a good team we have!"

At this she gestured to the group, who had now started hugging and shaking hands with one another excitedly. Edward was twirling a giddy Dianna in the air, singing again. Red was so happy she apparently forgot how much she "hated" Augustine and was shaking his hand heartily, which he was enjoying immensely. Akram was hugging Melody and his brothers were teasing him happily and semi-good naturedly. Everyone was confident and joyful. If anything would snap Emile out of his qualms, Rhonwen knew this was surely it. And he did look a bit better, smiling a little as he looked at his happy companions.

"Now," Rhonwen said playfully, "I know a dance that would be perfect for this situation. Come on, let's see if we can start it!"

"Oh, uh, Rhonwen," Emile said, nervous for completely different reasons, "You shouldn't do that for me. I can't dance."

"Neither can Red, and she'll get into it," Rhonwen said lightly, then she called out, "Hey Edward, let's start up a folk dance!"

Of course Edward needed no second pleading; he and Dianna immediately started dancing, each taking the hand of someone else and pulling them into the dance. Rhonwen, still having hold of Emile's hand, pulled him into it and they awkwardly began dancing, Emile staring frantically at Augustine's feet to catch the steps. Eventually, though, he caught on and started to even enjoy the dance, much to Rhonwen's undisguised joy.

Later on, though, when the group had made camp about half a mile into the border, Rhonwen heard a loud sound coming from the very near village on her turn for watch. Someone yelled and someone else fired a rifle. She guessed that it was probably a hunter or something, but that didn't set her mind at ease. Now Emile's worries passed to her. She had been watching for wolves up to this point on her watch. When one of them came into your camp and threatened you, you could kill it without guilt. The same was not true for a man. And a man could pose more of a threat to Emile than any wolf ever could. How were they going to do this?

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><p>Belle was worried about her husband. She was worried about her son and the other children. She was even worried about that bird and how long it would take to deliver a message to the castle. It seemed darkness brought out the worst of every worry.<p>

It was the middle of the night and the women had argued with their husbands to let them take two watches, so that Eugene could get some well earned rest. The poor man had been awake for almost two days, and deep black circles were starting to form around his eyes. And so, in the end, they had won and the women were placed at watch. Rapunzel had taken her shift first, and so now it was Belle's turn. And, as she listened to the sounds of the forest night and the soft breathing, or heavy snoring, of her companions, she could not stop her thoughts from wandering to wherever they were inclined. And it seemed, at the moment, they were inclined towards worry.

Vincent was not well. True, he was cantankerous and a little grouchy, which was his normal mood, but he was pale as death. The deep wounds on his arm were hideous to look at, and she could imagine the pain simple movement must cause him. She had to admit that Eugene had done a good job stitching up the wounds, better than she could even, and he put Vincent's shoulder back into place, but his continued memory loss was problematic. He was fragile, simply put, and he was used to being strong. One wrong move or rash action and he was in serious trouble.

Then there was her son. She didn't even know where Emile was, or what he was doing, but there are certain things that mothers just know and she knew her son was afraid. She didn't know why, and she would kill to be with him and care for him, but she was powerless to help him. That was not a feeling she was used to. She could always run to him and care for him, from the day he was born. Now he was afraid, possibly facing some unknown danger, and all Belle could do was sit up on her watch and wait for something to happen.

Agonized by her thoughts, Belle stood and stirred the fire, putting in a few extra logs to keep it burning. She paced a few times, went to check on Vincent, then sat back down on her log next to the fire and stared into the orange flames. Only one thought ran through her mind now, and it was simple. _Emile, be safe._

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><p>Early in the morning, Eugene rose from what was possibly the deepest sleep he had ever had to see Belle sitting by the fire. He crawled out of the tent and stood up, putting on his vest over his white shirt, and walked over to her.<p>

"How did the watch go last night?" he said, sitting down on the log opposite her and pulling some dried pork out of the nearby saddlebag.

"Fairly well," was her only answer.

"That's good," Eugene said, seeing that she was obviously thinking about something (being on watch did that to you), "So you didn't hear anything alarming then?"

"No," she said, then glancing up at him wryly, "Nothing beside your wife's snoring."

At this Eugene had to laugh.

"It's amazing that that noise can come out of something so small isn't it?" he said affectionately, "She started doing that over the last few years."

"Amazing indeed," Belle replied, "I thought it was a bear when she fell asleep the first time in our own camp. Afraid I woke her up for nothing."

The two smiled and Belle stirred the fire, then stood and went to the saddlebag where their flour was kept. Eugene just ate his meat quietly while she put together some light dough and poured it onto a skillet to make travel cakes. Somewhere in this process the rumbling from his tent stopped, and soon Rapunzel was out as well. She walked over and sat beside Eugene leaning on his arm and saying a sleepy good morning. That was a sound Eugene loved hearing.

"Is Belle making breakfast?" she said, noticing the pancakes.

"Yep," Eugene replied, but she was already moving.

"Let's see if I can find any wild onions or something to go with it," she said, rooting through a likely crevasse in the ground a few yards away.

Eugene smiled. That's one thing Rapunzel could always be counted on for. If something was good, she made it better. If something was bad, she made it bearable. And if someone was eating a meal, she made sure it was complete.

Belle smiled at the few small onions she found and the two cooked together for a minute. The Belle left the food to Rapunzel and went into the tent to check on Vincent. Eugene watched her go in, still a bit worried about his friend. A bite wound was nothing to be toyed with, and even if he seemed to be doing alright it could surprise him even now how quickly someone's condition can deteriorate. Belle stayed in the tent for a while, but eventually she came back out and the look on her face told the whole story.

"Has he gotten worse over night?" asked Eugene.

"I checked on him halfway through my watch and he seemed fine," Belle said, taking a rag out of her medical bag, "But this morning his skin is cold and sweaty and he wouldn't wake up when I shook him."

Eugene was on his feet now, and Rapunzel had abandoned breakfast, getting a bucket to fill with water and boil. Eugene pulled out what was left of his alcohol to clean the wound and was relieved to find that Belle had some as well. If he had turned downhill this fast then they had to get him back now, or he wasn't waking up again. Belle was back in the tent and in a few moments Eugene peeked in, to see if she needed help.

"Come in please, Eugene," Belle said, not looking over for fear of taking her eyes off of her husband.

Eugene entered and saw that Vincent was indeed bad off. His face was even paler than it had been the day their wives arrived, which was saying something. It had been two days since then, and he had seemed to be recovering, but with a wound like that nothing is set in stone. Belle lifted the bandage off of Vincent's shoulder and Eugene could tell immediately what had happened. Some of the stitches had pulled out in the night, and he was bleeding again. The inside of the bandage was red and, though the blood was not rushing from the wound as before, there was a steady supply coming from the unstitched cut.

Belle poured a little bit of the alcohol onto the rag and gently touched it to the cut to clean it. Vincent moaned softly but did not move. After she had cleaned the wound she looked at Eugene and handed him a needle and thread, silently telling him to stitch the wound again. He did what she asked and eventually the bleeding was stopped again. Eugene washed the outside of his stitches and then moved away, sensing that Belle wanted to do the rest. She wrapped Vincent's arm with clean bandages which Rapunzel had boiled and propped up his head on a rolled up blanket. She laid a cool washcloth on his forehead and wrapped him in a warm blanket, then held his hand tightly, watching his face nervously. Eventually his eyes fluttered a little bit and he made a small sound. Encouraged, she said his name and squeezed his hand again. His eyes opened and he looked around him groggily. He looked dazed, tired, and unsure as to where he was, but his eyes rested on Belle. Eugene figured it was safe now for him to leave, and so he quietly made his way out of the tent to a very worried Rapunzel.

"Is he going to be ok?" she asked, her eyes large and threatening tears.

"We'll have to wait and see," Eugene said, wanting to reassure her but unwilling to lie to her, "He's pretty weak."

Rapunzel hugged Eugene's chest and the two sat down on the log where Eugene had been sitting just an hour before when they were cooking breakfast. They both looked at the tent and listened for any sound that would be hopeful. Eugene held Rapunzel close, as she was threatening tears. He had always loved her strong sense of empathy for others, but it killed him when she cried.

"He saved my life, you know," he said offhandedly, not really talking to anyone.

"He did?" Rapunzel asked, looking up at him.

"He pulled a wolf off of me," Eugene said, "It was about to bite my face off and he just threw the beast into a tree like it was nothing."

"Eugene," Rapunzel said quietly, holding him closer.

"If anyone in this world was stubborn enough to survive against the odds, it's him," Eugene said, looking at Rapunzel.

She nodded and the two sat in silence, waiting for anything to happen from inside that tent.

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><p><strong>Gah, the suspense! Sometimes my cliffhangers even kill me! I'm really mean to you guys, aren't I!<strong>


	21. Chapter 21

**Hey guys! Here's the new chapter, in all it's glory! Hope to hear everything about how much you love it!**

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><p>Darkness was safety. Emile liked the dark, it was always more comfortable for him than being in full light, even at home as a child. He could see very well in the dark, and could hear better than the others, so he felt no fear walking in the outskirts of town on a moonless midnight. And the darkness had been his friend as always over the past day and a half of travel. They would go only by night, edging around the outskirts of the city, and he would often lead through the dark. The past night had had a sliver of a moon to guide them, but he was just as capable without it on this night, as the stars were all the light his keen eyes really needed.<p>

He could tell, though , that the others were nervous of the dark, as they were all breathing a little faster than usual and every one of them had whispered to him, at their own times, asking him where things were or if he could see anything. He would answer, in as few words as possible, and usually they would remain quiet for a short time. Emile didn't like knowing that his friends were terrified. He didn't like to see their wide eyed faces staring at him in the night, which was not so dark to him. He didn't like it, because he was just as afraid as they were.

He wasn't afraid of the dark, of course, but he was terrified all the same. He could hear people, echoes of voices from the all too nearby Osimandias. He heard people talking, children and their unintelligible high pitched echoes, even some arguments. They were so close, so close to those people and to what would undoubtedly be a cacophony of panic should any one of those people choose to come closer. Just one person could cause so much harm, so much destruction. Emile knew they thought of him as a nightmarish monster, but that was ironic, considering how very frightening they were to him.

He had been trying to put on a brave face for the others, to lessen their fear by seeming perfectly calm, but his hackles began to rise whenever the noises of the nearby people grew louder. He had thought that none of the others could see it, because they were close to blind in the darkness, but apparently he was wrong. He started and his fur stuck out when a gunshot went off in the woods about a mile away from them, and suddenly he felt a little hand holding on to one of his fingers. He looked to the source and saw Rhonwen, he large eyes wide and trying to seek out his face in the dark. But her expression was not only of fear, like the other wide eyes behind them. It was also concern. She was worried about him. She pulled his hand, trying to get him closer to her. He complied, as it looked like she was trying to say something.

"Are you alright?" she whispered, so softly he doubted anyone but the two of them could have heard it.

He was silent for a moment. No, he wasn't alright, he was scared out of his mind, but he couldn't say _that_. Her wide eyes didn't change as she waited for his answer.

"I'll be fine," he whispered back finally, matching her quiet tone to the best of his power.

"Liar," she whispered frankly, a small smile coming to her face.

Emile flicked his ears back in embarrassment. Of course she'd be able to tell that was a lie. She was a wonderful diplomat, lying was her forte.

"How could you tell?" he whispered, trying to banter with her.

"By the fact that your hand is shaking," she replied solemnly.

She pulled the tattling hand closer to her and wrapped her other hand around it, trying to calm him. Emile let her, glad that he could see so well in the dark. She looked so natural and innocent, just trying to help someone else when he could tell that she was afraid too. It wasn't in her nature to be selfish; she was always more concerned with helping others than herself. Emile closed his hand on her little ones, trying to reassure her as well.

"Don't worry," she said, looking back in the general direction of his face.

"I'll try," he responded, glad to have he for company.

The group continued walking forward, Emile in the lead as he was the only one who could see their compass. Rhonwen did not release his hand, and he didn't pull it away. He could tell that she was looking for some comfort in having someone else close. Besides that, he did feel slightly less afraid. He listened to the sounds around him, mostly sounds from the group as they whispered to one another or started when someone stepped on a stick. Dianna was whimpering softly. Emile looked back and saw that Edward had the situation well in hand; Dianna, though still on her own feet, was wrapped completely in Edward's arms and he was guiding her, as her eyes were squeezed tightly shut in fear. Red looked terrified, but rebelliously marched on her own, her eyes facing the shadow she must have seen of Emile. Augustine was slightly behind her, also looking to Emile, but he had the hand of Melody in his right hand and Akram in his left. The two of them hand joined hands with the brothers, who led the horses so that nobody was separated from the group. Emile was glad that they were managing, and hoped they could continue until morning. He would have to find them some sort of shelter then.

The night grew even darker as they trudged on. Emile looked worriedly at the clouds quickly forming above them, blocking out the small bit of starlight they had. He had to slow the pace, as it was now beginning to be difficult for even him to see. A loud sound burst from far to close and Emile jumped again, swiftly followed by the rest of the group. Rhonwen's hands tightened again and he was careful not to squeeze them too hard. It had almost sounded like a gunshot, but Emile knew that it was something far worse. Thunder. The storm was above them, and, though rain was not likely as the air was still too dry, the lightning would not make the night any more hospitable. Emile could feel the electricity in his fur, and every strand along his spine was starting to stand on end.

Another bolt hit, this time striking a tree about ten yards from them. The thunder, not delayed at all from the lightning, shook the ground below them with its volume. The tree burst to flames and split in half, where the lightning bolt had severed it. After seeing this, the group started moving faster. Emile wanted to get them to shelter before something like that happened to one of his companions. The fire on the tree illuminated the night for a little bit, and so everyone grouped to him and followed as fast as they could. Soon the licks of flame on the tree trunk died, or they moved too far from it to see the light, and they were forced to take their original pace. Never once, during any of this, did Rhonwen let go of Emile's hand. He didn't know whether that was to comfort him or herself, but it was comforting just the same.

Eventually he saw a small cave formed by two hundred year old rocks which had fallen together. Eager to get his friends out of the storm, Emile led them to it, whispering back to them that he had found shelter. They followed as eagerly as he led, and soon the small cave was crammed full with heirs and heiresses, all desperately pushing themselves as far into the cave as they could get. Rhonwen, who had been beside him coming into the cave, was now pushed against his shoulder. He didn't mind this at all, as she grabbed on to his whole arm now and squeezed with all her might when a lightning bolt hit just outside the cave. He put his other hand on her shoulder and she buried her face in his fur. And thus was how they spent the rest of the night.

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><p>Vincent was, in a word, miserable. He was so light headed that he couldn't even sit up, much less stand, and his arm was throbbing around the stitches. It had been a night and a day since he had awoken, confused and ill, to Belle's worried face. She had explained what had happened, and he remembered it somewhat hazily, like a dream. So she told him again when he could remember it clearly. She was considerate that way. Vincent knew he would probably not have survived to be this old if it wasn't for her love.<p>

He turned his head and tried to sit up a little bit and felt an instant exhaustion come over him from this simple little movement. He was too tired even to curse, though he did so inwardly anyway. But the movement seemed to have gained some attention from the person at his bedside, who he was trying to turn and see. Belle's lovely face appeared before his eyes, mouthing something. Vincent squinted and blinked a few times, and then sound started to come through the fog in his mind.

"…you hear me?" she said, coming closer to his face.

Vincent nodded his head and tried some speaking of his own.

"Ah just vanted to see you," he said blurrily, and far too quietly for his own satisfaction, "To teel you somesing."

Belle nodded and stroked his hair away from his face.

"Teel Eewzsen that he hes to go on vithou me," he said simply, trying to pronounce his words and failing miserably.

"Nobody's leaving you anywhere, Vincent," Belle said crossly, but warmly, "We'll wait to leave until you're feeling better."

"I am not going to be behter en time," Vincent said, his mind clearing a little bit to allow for better speech, "The shildren have already gotten further frem us. Teel Eewzsen that he has to go vith his vife instead ef me."

Belle was quiet for a few moments, but soon nodded and turned to go. Vincent, not satisfied with seeing her for so short a time, made a small pained sound that sent her rushing back to his side. He tried to pick up his arm, but it felt like lead and would only lifted a small bit. Belle seemed to get the idea, though, and picked up his hand, putting it to her face affectionately. He loved her more than anything in the world, and it was these moments that proved it to him. He made a small pull with his hand, trying to get her closer to his face, and she replied readily, kissing him gently and holding his face in her hands. He would have liked for this to continue, but he felt himself beginning to drift away into sleep. He held out for as long as he could, getting to feel her press her cheek to his, but after that all he felt was the empty sleep of illness.

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><p>Rapunzel had done her best to take care of everyone in camp since she had arrived. She had taken shifts at watch with Eugene and Belle, cooked every meal for them, and made sure that there were always enough clean bandages for Vincent. It was in her nature, she just liked taking care of people. She was, however, most often preoccupied with the safety of her daughter in the wilderness. And who would even know if she was still in the wilderness? She could be all the way to the Southern Kingdom by now, while they were trapped here, unable to leave their friends.<p>

She sighed and went back to the laundry she was washing. She had stolen everyone's second outfit, which they had worn to the point that it could no longer be worn for the smell. Tomorrow, when these were clean and dry, she would wash the other set on clothes. It felt good to have something useful to do, something that she felt like she could contribute. Poor Belle had hardly left her husband's side since he went downhill again, and Eugene was working hard to make their camp as unattractive to wolves as possible. He had set traps, laid a fowl smelling border around the camp, and had planted a post to tie the horses in the middle of camp where they could be seen at all times. At least now he could do those things in clean clothes.

Rapunzel pulled the white men's shirt out of the bucket where she had been scrubbing it with the closest thing she could find to a scrubbing pad (a pine cone) and checked it to see if she had gotten the spot out. It looked like the stain was gone, but it would still need s lot of patching. She looked at the large, rugged tear in the left sleeve with worry. Poor Vincent. She had been able to get the blood stains out of his shirt, but whether or not he healed as quickly, or even healed at all, was still hanging in the balance.

She felt so sorry for Belle. Her devotion to Vincent was touching, the same kind of devotion that Rapunzel felt for Eugene, and seeing her so distraught almost brought Rapunzel to tears every time. All she could do was think about how she would react to Eugene being in the same situation, and that would bring back memories of the worst moment of her life. The moment when Eugene was dead. She would feel her heart just stop, like it had that moment, as if she died with him. Then she would feel that memory, that wave of anguish that she had felt, knowing that her new dream was dead in her arms. Yes, she knew the pain that Belle was fighting, and it only made her sympathy that much stronger. Rapunzel sat down on the trusty log after she hung the damp laundry from a tree to dry. Poor Belle had had a moment just like that, when Vincent had been dead. Rapunzel remembered the haunted look on her face when she told her about it, one night by the campfire before they had met up with their husbands. And now, with Vincent so badly hurt, Rapunzel didn't even have to imagine the pain Belle must be feeling. She could feel it too.

She looked over to their tent, wondering how they were doing. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement from the outside of camp. She quickly glanced over and was relieved to find it was only Eugene, coming back from checking his traps. She smiled at him, and he smiled back, she then he got a queer look on his face that Rapunzel had learned meant "I'm on to you."

"What's the matter?" he asked bluntly, coming and sitting beside her.

"Nothing, really," she tried to say, but he was too good at detecting her emotions.

He stared at her disbelievingly for a moment before he replied.

"Not buying it," he said bluntly.

Rapunzel sighed and rolled her eyes. This was the problem with having a husband who knows you so well. He can tell when you're lying to him every time.

"I was just worrying," she replied, a little more truthfully.

"About Rhoni?" asked Eugene, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Yes," Rapunzel replied, gratefully leaning against him.

"And?" he said, looking down to make eye contact.

"And what?" she queried.

"That's not all you were worried about," Eugene said, "I thought you were going to add an "and" onto that, but you just left it hanging."

Rapunzel snickered and hugged Eugene closer.

"And everything," she replied after a while, looking back into his eyes, "Vincent and Belle, the other children with Rhonwen, Rufus back at the kingdom all alone managing things for longer than he expected…"

"And?" Eugene prodded again.

"And…you," Rapunzel said, her eyes tearing up, "What if it had been you?"

Eugene was silent for a moment, but he held her closer. She loved him so much.

"Sometimes I even find myself being grateful that Vincent was the one hurt," she continued quietly, "Just because he's not you. Then I catch myself and feel miserable."

Eugene held her tighter again, this time lifting up her chin to look into her eyes.

"It wasn't me," he said simply.

Rapunzel started to cry and pressed her face into his chest. He held her closely for a long moment. She felt like her heart would burst open if she loved him any more. Then they heard a squawking in the sky and both looked eagerly above them to try and spot the bird. Belle emerged from her tent and looked like she had something to say to them, but seeing them looking up and waving she did the same, her face brightening. Iago flew down towards them and landed on the post Eugene had the horses tied to.

"NICE OF YOU TO INSTALL A PERCH," the bird said loudly as he landed, gaining a smile from the women and rolled eyes from Eugene.

"What message do you bring, Iago?" asked Belle, stepping forward, "Are the men coming to help us?"

"YES, THERE'S FOUR OF THEM ON THEIR WAY," the bird replied readily, clearly seeing how much she needed an answer, "TWO OF THEM ARE SERVANTS FROM KING VINCENT'S CASTLE, AND TWO ARE OTHER KINGS, PHILIP AND JUSTINIAN."

"Wonderful!" Rapunzel said happily, "how soon will they be here Iago?"

"I'D SAY THEY HAVE ABOUT TWO DAYS OF TRAVEL LEFT AHEAD OF THEM BEFORE THEY MAKE IT HERE," the bird replied, starting to sound irritated, "AND WILL YOU EVER FEED THE MESSANGER OR DOES HE HAVE TO TRAVEL HUNGERY AGAIN? I'M NOT A WILD BIRD, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HUNT WELL!"

Rapunzel laughed and got him some grain. Eugene rolled his eyes again. Apparently there was some enmity between her husband and their messenger. She came back over to them and fed Iago the grain, which he was grudgingly grateful for. Then the message continued.

"THEY WANT TO KNOW WHAT CONDITION KING VINCENT IS IN," the bird began, as if the message was never interrupted, "HOW'S HE DOING?"

"He's not well," said Belle, her brow furrowing again, "Tell them they should hurry."

"WILL DO, LADY!" the bird replied, "OFF I GO, THE BRAVE MESSENGER, TO FACE UNKNOWN PERIL! SOME MORE GRAIN FOR THE ROAD?"

At this Eugene waved his arms at the bird and Iago took off, shouting about touchy royalty and whatnot on the way. Rapunzel smiled as the annoyingly endearing bird as he flew away, hoping he got the message to them safely.

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><p><strong>And there you have it folks! that's the next chapter! I'm dying to know what you think!<strong>


	22. Chapter 22

**Hey guys! I've finally managed to sit down and write for more than five minutes strait, and here are the fruits of my labor. Oh, and I know that there is a certain mistake in the story before now, heck there were quite a few, but someone recently brought this one to my attention, so thanks and I'll get it right in future chapters. Enjoy!**

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><p>Rhonwen woke up slowly after that fretful stormy night. She found herself crushed into a cave around all of her friends, with the horses whinnying outside and a bright, warm morning looking in through the opening of the cave. She stirred and found that she had been lying on Emile's shoulder, and she was wrapped in his cloak. She froze, still leaning against him, and let herself take in the peace of the moment, the silence a pleasant contrast to the howling winds and thunder of the night before. Then she carefully moved away from Emile and untangled herself from his cloak, as quietly as she could so she didn't wake him or anyone else. Intent on checking the horses, which had been left though the night at the precipice of the cave, she tip toed her way through her sleeping companions' limbs until she made it outside.<p>

Sun seemed to shine off of every surface outside the cave. The limestone rock that made up the cave glowed white and silver in the bright daylight and the horses were grazing peacefully, making small sounds back and forth and soaking up the sunlight. The grass was bright spring green and the trees, beautiful pine trees, were each a perfect shade a deep green and brown, with not a dead branch or imperfection in sight. A slight, sweet smelling breeze even blew through the air around her, smelling of wild flowers and pine pollen. Rhonwen smiled. What an incredible difference from the night before! It almost seemed like she was back at home again, enjoying the warm, balmy weather of a Ringdorn Summer. She took a few steps forward, sat down on the grass, and untied her rope braid from around her waist to give her hair a small bit of attention. She knew she couldn't unbraid it, as nobody here could help her redo it and she needed at least four hands for this style, but at least she could pick out some of the debris that she had picked up in the cave and the rainstorm.

As she set to work on this task, she looked up from where she was sitting every once in a while to check the cave's entrance for any sign of her friends or to glance at a small noise in the forest. At one point she looked toward the cave again, thinking she heard someone, but her eyes never fully reached to cave as they had intended to. Instead they rested on someone lounging on the green grass between herself and the cave. Her eyes widened as she failed to recognize this person as someone she knew, and she jumped to her feet. A deep, sultry laugh emitted from the person as she did so, and then she also stood.

For this person was a woman, and a very attractive once at that, tall, well proportioned, and graceful. When she stood her grace was made even more apparent by the fluid movement of her limbs, as if each and every once knew the exact motion needed of it and did nothing more or less. She didn't seem to be armed, as all she wore was an incredibly short, billowing dress that bared her arms and barely concealed any of her legs and a pair of sandals, but she could have some small weapon concealed somehow. Rhonwen took a step back and reached for her knife, the only weapon she carried besides her frying pan, which did not strap to the waist well. She held the small blade in front of her in a ready position.

"Who are you?" Rhonwen asked quietly, trying to sound more dangerous than she felt.

"Don't you know?" the woman's deep voice replied with a thick Greek accent, though the only movement her lips made was to smile slightly, "I thought you would have some idea what I look like, since you are trying so hard to find me."

Rhonwen's eyes widened even more as the information before her clicked into place. A tall woman with long, flowing golden hair that reached her waist, fierce green eyes with a glimmer of gold to the whites, and the dress, which more resembled a toga now that Rhonwen looked twice at it. It was Circe. It was the witch they were looking for, the one that she knew some in their group thought they might never even find. And they hadn't found her, had they? They hadn't even made it to the ocean yet to talk with Melody's grandfather, Triton, about seeing Poseidon, so Akram must have been right. She had been around so long and cursed so many people, she was probably watching them from the start. Rhonwen tightened her defensive pose, drawing another smile from the woman before her.

"Do you really think that little knife would do you any good if I meant you harm, child?" Circes voice said again, though her lips were still in only a closed smile.

"Couldn't hurt," Rhonwen replied, trying to sound brave and failing to conceal the quiver in her throat, "What do you want here?"

"I have a warning for you," the accented voice replied amiably, "The quest you have chosen will not lead in the direction you have expected. If this bothers you, you should cease now."

What did she mean by that? Rhonwen tried not to let her puzzlement or frustration show, but her brow furrowed regardless. Circe smiled again.

"I won't be scared away by threats," Rhonwen shouted indignantly, "And my friends won't either. You can do your worst, even kill me right now, but that won't make us turn back!"

Circe smiled again, but this smile was different. It was almost triumphant. And her incredibly white teeth showed. The glow of gold in her eyes grew brighter, as did the sun around them, and it took all of Rhonwen's restraint not to gape at her in awe.

"Good!" her voice said happily, "That means that you have what it takes to finish this, mortal. But do not be cocky and fall into pride; this has only just begun."

Then Circe simply vanished before her eyes. And so did what she had experienced of the day. It became more ordinary, simpler than the brilliant sunlight of a few moments before. The grass was not perfectly green, the stones looked like grey stones like the night before, and the sun, while still Summer warm, was not as bright gold or perfect as before. And, standing before her, in the place that Circe had inhabited just a moment before, was a very confused looking Emile, holding out his hands in a posture of surrender.

Realizing that she was still holding her knife at the ready, Rhonwen dropped her arms and took a step back. Emile hesitated. He looked worried, but he didn't speak, he just watched her.

"Emile?" Rhonwen asked at last, stepping toward him again.

"You can see me now?" he said, stepping quickly forward on her cue, looking her over carefully.

"Yes?" Rhonwen replied, not really intending it to be a question, "How long have you been standing there?"

"About ten minutes," Emile answered dutifully, "I woke up when you did and followed you out of the cave."

"So you must have seen her too, right?" Rhonwen said, grabbing Emile's hand excitedly.

"Seen who?" he replied, seeming even more worried, "Rhonwen, what's going on?"

Rhonwen paused a moment, her bewilderment catching up to her at last.

"I wish I knew," she said finally.

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><p>Eugene was busy hitching up the horses, Belle having told him Vincent's message and the other's finally having arrived. Philip and Justinian sat by the fire, gratefully accepting Rapunzel's hospitality and pancakes. Henri and Lumier, the two servants that had come with them, were doing about the same. Eugene smiled as he heard the peaceful chatter over the clicking of tin dishes and Rapunzel's happy laugh. He had always admired how she could get along with anyone. Yanking one last strap firmly into place on Maximus's saddle, he turned and joined the conversation.<p>

"…finally be eating something besides our own cooking!" Justinian finished as Eugene arrived.

"Thank you!" Rapunzel said happily, "That's a real compliment."

"You buttering up my wife, Justinian?" Eugene said, plopping down beside them, "You know that won't get you another serving of pancakes. I've already tried it."

The group chuckled and Rapunzel gave him a mock scolding look. They continued to eat peacefully and Eugene noticed Belle emerging from her tent and moving towards them. He set down his plate and turned to her, to gage her facial expression. With all the ups and downs Vincent had been having, there was no way of knowing what could happen next. But Belle's face, though very tired, was peaceful, so Eugene went back to his pancakes. Rapunzel dished out a few pancakes to Belle and the two talked for a little bit.

"How's Vincent?" Rapunzel asked, placing the last cake on Belle's plate, much to the men's distress.

"I think he's doing well," Belle said, still sounding worried despite her words, "He's sleeping now, more peacefully than he has in days. I think that's a good sign."

"That's good," Rapunzel said, taking her hand, "Sleeping means healing. He'll be feeling better soon, I'm sure."

"Thank you," Belle said, squeezing Rapunzel's hand, "You're a good friend. And yes, I'm sure Vincent will be all right. As my son would say, he's too stubborn to die."

The group chuckled again, but this time in a subdued, melancholy way. Eugene finished off his last pancake and stood up, returning to the horses, this time to ready Rapunzel's. The men ate quietly now, probably afraid that they would wake up Vincent in the nearby tent. After a short time and a small serving of breakfast, Belle returned to her tent and the men thanked Rapunzel, walking towards him.

"Monsieur," said Lumier, approaching him first, "There are more than enough people here to take care of King Vincent and see him safely back to the castle. My son, Henri, and I will see to it personally. But it seems a shame to send you and your wife into the wilderness alone, especially after the King's accident."

"I was just thinking the same thing," Eugene replied, looking at the medical supplies in his wife's bag, "I take it Philip and Justinian are along for the ride?"

"Of course we are!" Justinian replied, smiling, "I wouldn't miss this for the world! Besides, if I come home without Rosa my wife will have a fit, not to mention my nephew. I feel bad for Edward, though, I know my brother and he's just as worried for his son as I am for my daughter. But only two of us could reasonably come, and Philip had killed a fey dragon so he was a little more qualified!"

The men laughed and Philip swelled a little with pride before putting in his two cents.

"When we all found out what the children were really up to from the bird, I knew I should be out here," he said, looking worried again, "I only survived because of Aurora's fairy godmothers. I shudder to think of what a witch of that power could do to our children."

Eugene nodded and smiled to the men, shaking all of their hands firmly.

"Thank you," he said, looking them all in the eye, "We'll be glad for the extra turns at the watch!"

"I bid you well, Monsieur," Lumier said, starting to turn away with his son, "Take care of yourselves and each other on your journey, and have no fear for the King. We will take good care of him."

The Kings nodded to Lumier and the group all began to ready their horses, now enjoying each other's company even more because of their anticipation for the journey to come. Eugene heard clanking dishes and turned back to see Rapunzel cleaning the skillet and spatula from breakfast. She looked up and smiled at him, and he left the horse for a minute to go and tell her about the new additions to the traveling party.

"So, it looks like we're not going to be…" he started, but was interrupted by what he could only have described as a heart stopping, sorrowful wail coming from inside Vincent's tent.

Everyone quickly made for the location, of course, but before they could take more than two steps Belle came rushing out. Her face was pale and newly tear streaked and her eyes were clouded with grief. She stumbled a few steps then fell to her knees, Rapunzel already there to stop her from falling further. She sobbed a few times into Rapunzel's shoulder, paying no mind to the questions Rapunzel was asking or to Eugene, who was rushing into the tent, assuming the worst. His assumption was correct. Vincent lay there, looking rather serene by comparison to the last few days. His eyes were closed and his face was paler than before. And, worst of all, there was no characteristic rise and fall of his chest. Eugene knelt beside him, placing his finger on his neck to feel for a pulse. He felt nothing, and so pressed his ear against his chest incase the heartbeat or breathing was too small to feel or see. When he heard nothing, he held his hand close to Vincent's mouth and nose for one full minute. He did not feel a breath.

Eugene stood and walked out of the tent, looking to Belle and Rapunzel instinctively, though he could feel the gaze of the four men. Rapunzel's eyes, large and green, met his and he knew she already knew what he was about to say. But instead of looking tearful, they were simply sad and resolved. Eugene knew that look, he'd seen it many times. He walked over to her and she gently pushed Belle away from her shoulder. Belle was not crying anymore, she seemed to be in a state of shock now, and she quietly allowed Rapunzel to stand up and walk towards Eugene.

Their eyes met as she walked past him and he gently grabbed her arm.

"Will it work this time?" he asked quietly.

"You know I can't know that," she replied, but he could see the hope in her eyes and let that be his answer.

Rapunzel walked away from him and ducked into the tent and Eugene turned to the men and quietly told them the news. Lumier walked over to Belle and said a few soft words which none but the two of them heard. Belle didn't even seem to hear them herself, as she just stared into space and didn't even acknowledge he was there. Henri tried to go towards the tent, but Eugene grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"Not yet," he said to the boy's indignant face, "Just a little bit of time, that's all I ask."

Henri looked confused and bewildered, but he obeyed and walked away. The other two kings eyed Eugene curiously, but Eugene's eyes were focused on the tent, and his mind of the hopeful look Rapunzel gave him.

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><p>Belle felt nothing now. Not the heat of the still wet tears on her face, nor the warmth of the sun, nor the grief that had overwhelmed her when her husband took his final breath before her eyes. All there was inside her had turned cold. She was vaguely aware that the world was still moving around her, but chose to pay it no mind. The men talked and someone said something to her in a whisper but she didn't understand any of it and didn't want to. Why should the world continue when her world had ended?<p>

The only thing that broke through this strange coldness that had come over her was a very queer sound at a time like this. She heard singing; her husband was dead and someone was singing a song.

_Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine,_

_Make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine!_

_Heal what has been hurt, change the fates' design,_

_Save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine!_

_What once was mine!_

Belle wasn't sure what to think. She recognized the words and the voice; this was the healing song that Rapunzel and her daughter used for the magic hair. But why was she singing it now? Rapunzel's hair wasn't magic anymore, and the song was useless without the hair. Perhaps it was just her way of expressing her own sadness. Thinking that must be it, Belle was suddenly driven to find Rapunzel, as she discovered that she was no longer leaning on her shoulder, and share her sadness with her. This pain could not be made to go away, but pain seems lighter when shared. So she stood and walked up to Eugene, aware of the world again.

The first thing she noticed was the depression in his face. She had only ever seen Eugene peppy and happy, or at most slightly irritated, but this was a look that seemed unnatural on his face. Vincent was a dear friend to him, she knew, despite the show they put on. She put her arm through his in a comforting fashion and he started a little bit, looking surprised to see her.

"Belle?" he asked, looking ready to catch her should she fall again.

"Eugene," Belle replied, her voice cracking, "Where is Rapunzel?"

Eugene looking bewildered and reluctant to answer, so Belle quickly deduced the truth. She was in the tent saying her goodbye. Belle thought she should have known, that song sounded so mournful, and she walked towards the tent as quickly as she could on her suddenly weak knees. Then she saw something that froze her in her tracks.

A light. There was a bright, golden light flowing from the tent, brighter than any sunny day she had ever seen. It startled her so that she fell backwards, landing squarely on her backside, eyes still focused on that light. Surely it was magical, but it couldn't be Rapunzel causing it, could it? Her hair had lost its power, it couldn't possibly be her; she could no longer heal. Belle knew she couldn't be that lucky twice in one lifetime. The light faded and for a moment everything was still. Then there was movement inside the tent. Belle expected to see Rapunzel come out of the tent, probably to explain that light, but that's not what happened at all.

A face she thought she would never see alive again was suddenly before her. Then the rest of him followed, completely well, the color in his skin, and a little bit of red to his cheeks. He stared at her as she sat on the ground, and she couldn't take her gaze away from his blue eyes. Belle knew she should be asking how or why, but she found she didn't care. Finding a new energy in herself, she leaped to her feet and ran into Vincent's arms, laughing and crying in an overload of joy and wonder. And she swore, as long as she lived, she would never let go of him again.

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><p><strong>Ok, I know you all hate me for scaring you like that, but please review anyway! <strong>


	23. Chapter 23

**Hey guys, I'm just here to resolve a few plot points and thicken a few more. Don't mind me. Ok, do mind me, I need to hear what you guys think of this one!**

**Oh, and I don't know if you guys read any of the fics done by one of my personal favorite authors, Much Ado About Nonny, but she's going to do a oneshot based on my story and use one passage directly from my work. You should totally check it out, she is amazing. She said it's going to be a little bit of Rhonwen's backstory, and I can't wait to read it. **

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><p>Emile walked beside his horse, using it as a sort of shield against visibility as they traveled through a small hunting village at midnight. As of yet, they had not had to travel directly through any real outcropping of civilization, as they could just as easily move around them through the uninhabited outskirts without added much time to their journey. But this village was different. It was built right up against a cliff, a sort of natural fortress, and to climb the cliff would be nearly impossible not to mention costly in time. So they were cutting through the small groups of huts, quiet as they could, trying not to attract any attention.<p>

Emile's ears flicked incessantly towards every small sound he heard, and he could imagine what he must look like to the others, surrounded by horses and practically crawling to stay below the level of their backs. He was terrified, frankly put. At any moment, any one of the many huts' inhabitants could come out, see his feet among those of the horses, and run away screaming about werewolves like that stupid bird had. Then where would they be? Neck deep in angry villagers trying to kill the monster, that's where they'd be. Emile inwardly chastised himself for being such a coward. They had to come this way, it wasn't safe for the others to try to climb the cliff and they would be waiting for him for days, if not weeks, on the other side if he went alone. And they had to hurry to the sea, because the mission had become much more urgent now that Rhonwen had seen Circe.

He ducked his head lower to look at Rhonwen under one of the horses. He remembered the look on her face when she was talking to the mysterious witch, and she wasn't dreaming or pretending to have visions for attention, like some particularly obnoxious members of their group had insinuated. Whatever she saw had been completely real to her, and until it was over she hadn't even been able to see him. Circe was obviously very intimidating, judging by the way Rhonwen held herself when she was talking to her. What were they up against?

Emile heard a noise and instinctively froze, which the others did as well. It was the cocking of a shotgun. He didn't dare turn to see the source of the sound, as the person holding the gun might not have even seen him. After all, they were in a hunter's village right? There were probably a lot of guns here. That still didn't stop him from quivering when he heard a husky man's voice to his right, coming from the direction of a nearby hut.

"Don't you, any of you, move," he said, sounding aggressive though Emile couldn't see what he was doing, "State your business or I'll state mine."

"We're just travelers," Augustine's voice said from the same direction as the hunter's, "We mean no harm to anyone here."

"Fancy talk for a simple tramp, boy," he husky voice said, sounding a lot closer, "Tell me the truth, or I might just ask questions when you're no threat to me anymore."

"It is the truth, butthead!" Red's indignant voice said, "Travelers doesn't mean tramps. We are messengers from the royal parties who are currently in the next kingdom. If you want credentials, I can let you read them, but otherwise you better put that damn shotgun away. Unless, of course, you're aching for some time in a dungeon, I'm sure King Eric can arrange that!"

"Don't like your tone, young lady," the gruff voice said again, "And I can't read, so what use are your papers to me? I'll need some other kind of proof."

"The clothes we're wearing," Rhonwen's voice, surprisingly very calm, said, "Do we look like tramps or thieves to you? I know I'm not much of an example, my clothes were damaged and we only had money for men's clothes so we made do. But look at the other ladies, and the gentlemen."

"I suppose you got a point there," he responded after a time, "You just better keep on moving. I'll be watching you. Folks around here don't tend to like strangers, and some will not be so pleasant as to warn you before they shoot. Our village was just robbed, and everyone's in arms, so watch your step, royal messengers."

"Thank you for your kind warning," Rhonwen's voice said and the horses started to move.

The warning hadn't sounded so kind to Emile, but he kept as silent as he physically could as they continued to walk. They were moving a little faster now, which Emile didn't mind at all. If they could get out of here fast enough maybe they wouldn't need to dodge any shotgun pellets. Emile had never been shot before, and he certainly didn't want to be. They were getting towards the edge of the village when they finally slowed slightly. They were almost out and there was no reason to jog, as this might buy them more suspicion then their simple presence. Emile kept a steady pace with the horses, trotting on all fours and hoping that nobody else would confront them. That was before the gunshot.

A loud crash, like a smaller version of the thunder the night before, sounded in the air and Emile felt an intense stinging in his right leg as several pellets flew in from above and lodged themselves in his thigh. He roared in pain and another shot was taken, this time stinging his shoulder. They heard yelling about a creature and vaguely he heard Rhonwen telling him to run and that they'd follow, but that made no sense to him anymore. He could hear sounds from his companions that suggested he wasn't the only one hit by pellets, and a rage built up inside him. He looked for the location of the shooter, found him in a tree desperately trying to reload his gun, and charged at him with a roar.

The young man froze in horror and Emile barreled him out of the tree. He took hold of the weapon in his teeth and slammed it against a tree, shattering it. He heard another gun cock and found a burly man looking at him from several yards away. He wove behind a tree, thus avoiding what would surely have been a kill shot, and grabbed the man from behind, lifting him by his rifle arm. The man yelled, and Emile confirmed that this was the man with the gravelly voice that the others had spoken to on the road. He yanked the weapon from his arm and dropped him roughly on the ground. He smashed this weapon in a similar manner to the last, and heard his friends yelling to run or take cover, suggesting there were more of them coming. He grabbed the man under one shoulder and carried him, ignoring the younger shooter's yell of fear and outrage. Emile then leaped down in front of his friends, facing off with a large group of hunters who were all aiming guns in their direction.

"Don't shoot!" the man in his arms screamed, "Don't shoot!"

The crowd listened to him, gratefully, and Emile took his opportunity. He knew his chance of convincing these people that he meant them no harm was gone, but perhaps they would respond better to a more forceful approach.

"NO ONE IS TO MOVE!" he bellowed, inwardly wincing as the people screamed and stepped back, "IF YOU LET ME LEAVE IN PEACE, AND DO NOT HASTLE THOSE BEHIND ME, I WILL SPARE THIS MAN!"

"Father!" the younger shooter from before yelled, half running half falling down the hillside.

_Wonderful,_ Emile thought, _this night just keeps getting better._

"PUT DOWN YOUR WEAPONS!" Emile bellowed, trying to sound threatening so these people might listen to him, "RETURN TO YOUR HOMES! I WILL LET HIM GO, BUT ONLY IF YOU DO AS I SAY!"

The crowd didn't move for a moment of indecision, and then all members put their weapons down, some of them crying with fear. Emile swallowed the guilt that built up in his throat and look around. All were slowly backing towards their homes accept the boy who had shot first. He stood at a distance, tears in his eyes, and repeated to word 'please' in a pleading way. Now that he looked at him, Emile could see that he was still just a boy, only probably thirteen or fourteen years old.

"Run boy," the man in his arm said in a resigned way, "You can survive, I taught you that well. Now run!"

Emile couldn't stand this anymore. He met the boy's eyes and placed the man's feet on the ground, holding the back of his shirt.

"You've been warned," he said to the man softly, "Do not follow us."

Then he let the man go, and turned to run, glad that his friends had taken his signal as were already retreating. His ears flicked back to hear the sounds of the two pairs of footsteps running towards each other and the tearful reunion when they met. He limped swiftly away, wiping tears from his own eyes, and caught up with his friends. They had mounted were almost galloping, but Rhonwen was looking back and when she saw him following she slowed her horse and his, which she had been leading. He mounted the horse painfully and rode to keep up with them, trying to ignore the aching spasms emitting from his leg and shoulder.

When they had finally gotten far enough away from that hellish village that they could be considered at a safe distance, Rhonwen ordered a halt and dismounted swiftly, running to Emile's horse.

"Can you dismount, or do you need help?" she asked quietly.

"I think you should get Edward and Augustine over here," he replied, knowing she was not enough to support him if he fell, which was likely since he doubted he could stand upright.

The three wounded members of their party all gathered around Rhonwen, and they were forced to light a small fire for light to pull out the shotgun pellets. Akram had only three pellets in his arm, and Melody had one in her ankle, but Emile had a total of twenty three shotgun pellets that had to be removed before Rhonwen healed him, for fear of lead poisoning. After that long and excruciating process, all three grabbed the rope braid of hair that she spread out and were healed. Then they rode of swiftly in silence, not knowing what to say. Emile felt no more pain for any wounds, but something deep inside him was torturing him.

_They were right to fear you_, it said.

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><p>Finally moving again. That was all Vincent could think about as he trotted beside Belle and Eugene scouted ahead. They were finally trying to find their children again. He couldn't complain about his new companions either, as the two kings and the two servants were both very strong riders and good company. Admittedly, he was still in a daze about what had happened, but he didn't feel any pain where the wolf had bitten him anymore and he decided to accept his blessing.<p>

Rapunzel had tried to explain how it had happened, but he wasn't fully sure he understood. She kept a small bottle of her own tears on her at all times, apparently, because they had the magical power to bring some people back from death, if their death was recent enough. It wasn't like the hair, which made everything heal and brought the recipient back to the physical age of twenty or younger, if they were not twenty before; she said it simply healed the thing that killed them and sometimes brought them back. But not always. That was the part he didn't fully understand. It only worked sometimes, and there was no predicting when it would work and when it wouldn't.

Anyway, at least he was alive again. It was strange, he had really felt himself die, felt his body let go despite his objections. It wasn't the first time that had happened to him, he felt it the first time too, when he had died as the Beast. When he had come back then, just like now, he had felt a strange vitality, like he could take on the world and win. No, he was not dead yet, and would not be for some time.

Belle rode beside him, holding his hand and steering her horse with the other, just as he was doing. She seemed reluctant to let go of him, as if she thought that holding him physically would keep him with her. Of course, Vincent didn't mind. The whole affair had frightened her as much as it had him and her hand in his was a welcome comfort. The others had tried to insist that he and Belle stay behind, return to the castle. They said they had been through enough and that they would take it from here. At least, Philip and Justinian did. Eugene, Rapunzel, Belle, Lumier, and Henri knew Vincent well enough to know that he would never go back to his castle and cower when he was in perfect condition and his son was in danger. And Philip and Justinian learned it too, in no meek or uncertain terms. And Belle, bless her, backed him all the way, despite the fact that he could tell she feared for him. Suddenly sentimental again, Vincent turned and looked at his wife, squeezing her hand. She looked back into his eyes and he knew that he was indeed very glad to be alive.

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><p>Rapunzel rode at the back of the group. She was glad that her tear had worked and that Vincent was alive, but it made her uncomfortable that so many people now knew of this strange power. Before she had healed Vincent, it had been a secret of the family and their household. Nobody outside the castle was trusted with the knowledge that her tears had this power, because there was a very limited amount of tears that she could produce and the hair her daughter had inherited was so much more reliable.<p>

She had discovered, when trying to use them on servants in her castle in the years before her daughter was born, that the tears were much more selective than the hair was. They always healed the problem that killed the person, but a few remained dead even after their wounds were healed. She couldn't explain why it did this, nor why some people lived and some did not, but she knew that it was not something she should share with too many people. After all, they would expect it to work like the hair, and it simply couldn't, or wouldn't. Now the rulers of three other kingdoms knew about them, and though they had sworn secrecy she knew that at least their families would be informed when they got back. It wasn't that she didn't want to help people, or that she wouldn't use the tears in the case that someone died, but some might ask for a small bottle that they could take back with them, and she couldn't even to that. She had discovered over time that the tears only worked if they were used by herself or possibly her daughter, though because her daughter had her hair she had never tried to used the tears. It had to be her, Rapunzel, singing the song for the power to work, which was again very different from the hair because it would work no matter who sang.

So she rode at the back, thinking very hard on what she would say when someone would almost definitely ask her for a vial of her tears. She smiled when she looked up and saw Belle and Vincent leaning on each other from their separate horses, a difficult but worthwhile pursuit. She could deal with the questions and the requests she would get, and she was glad to get them, since in meant to two of them were together. She looked around her, now a bit cheered, and double taked when she saw something odd.

Ahead of them, sitting in a tree as if she belonged there, was a beautiful woman with long blond hair. Nobody else seemed to notice her, which Rapunzel found even stranger than her presence when she saw what she was wearing. She was a stunning woman, her skin perfect and glowing, and far too much of it showed for Rapunzel's liking. She leaned against the trunk of the tree, as if she was sitting on a throne, and when their eyes met she smiled and gold glimmered in the whites of her incredibly green eyes. Suddenly recognizing her, Rapunzel opened her mouth to speak, but it shut again of its own volition as the woman raised her finger to her lips in a silencing motion.

"I see that you know who I am," Circe said, her thick Greek accent emanating from motionless lips, "I know who you are, young queen."

Rapunzel would have liked to pull out her frying pan or scream for the other's attention, but she found she could do nothing but continued to listen.

"I am not going to harm you," the voice continued, her lips smiling, "I simply bring a gentle warning, from a mother to a mother. Your daughter is putting herself in extreme danger, and there is nothing you can do about it."

Rapunzel tried to scream again, this time in outrage, but she could not even make her face change its expression. Circe smile coyly and continued on.

"The next time you see your daughter, she will be changed," Circe's voice said, "If you see her again at all. You have my word that I will do my best for her safety, but I am easily bored and very patient. If she does not succeed in her mission, I'm sure I can wait for another who will. I would tell you not to worry, but I would only be contradicting myself. Worry, but do not lose yourself to it. She will need you."

Rapunzel's heart began to race and she wished with all her might that she could move, if only just long enough to jump on this woman and claw her eyes out. But there was no woman anymore; Circe was gone. She hadn't vanished, she didn't disappear into a cloud of smoke, she just simply wasn't there. And Rapunzel found out that she could move again. Before she could blink she was racing up to the front of the party to tell anyone and everyone of what she had just seen.

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><p><strong>And that's the end of this chapter. Again, go see Nonny's profile! I don't know when she'll put out that oneshot, but her other work is really great.<strong>


	24. Chapter 24

**Next Chapter! Yay! I didn't have any demon writer's block this time! And I actually had time to write! Woot!**

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><p>With only a day of travel before they met the sea, the land had grown rougher, with frequent cliffs and few shortcuts or ways around civilization. Rhonwen always hesitated to venture into a populated area, especially after what had happened in the hunters' village, but twice now since then they hadn't had a choice. More and more villages, which were in the outcroppings of larger towns, were built right up against the cliff faces so that the group was literally pinned between a rock and a hard place. Fortunately nothing else bad had happened, despite several really close calls, so Rhonwen was hoping they could make it through this village in the same way.<p>

Unfortunately, the hunter's village seemed to have issued a warning to all the surrounding villages to keep an eye out for their party, so all of them had to travel separately through any town for fear of further attack. It was hard to avoid special notice, because the surrounding villages had evacuated women and children, and she was both of those. But if Red could successfully pretend to be a male bodyguard to Melody and Dianna "two meek noblewomen on the way to a wedding" then she could definately pull off a traveling peasant girl. They were currently traveling in three groups, and along the way Rhonwen had been forced to put on her simple dress she had been carrying in her saddlebag in order to avoid quick recognition. And, for once, she was glad of the humid, wet weather, as it allowed her to wear her cloak over her hair without drawing any attention. She walked along the edges of the town, where there was a small corn farm, and tried to look like a simple traveler.

She was in a group of three, and it was the last group to come through the town because they were the most recognizable. The others were waiting for them at the end of the line, everyone having been through accept herself, Augustine, and Emile. Akram and his brothers charged right through town with all the horses, mascarading as foreign werewolf hunters hopeful of rescuing living werewolf prey for the horses to carry and earning cheers. Edward traveled through with Dianna, Melody, and Red, who looked possibly more male than he did when she went through. So now it was just them, and their plan was simpler. Augustine would be a curious noble come to join the werewolf hunt and attract attention to himself, so she and Emile could hopefully slip through unnoticed by way of the corn. Emile was going through the corn field, directly to her right, and occasionally she would hear some small sound that proved his presence. She walked just deside the field, because she could not move soundlessly throught the thick stalks as Emile could and her cloak or hair would get tangled is she tried. Augustine was walking through the center of town, casual as can be, his fancy clothing providing the perfect distraction from herself and Emile. Everyone's attention was glued to him as he sauntered about, stopping here and there as if he was just passing through to see the sights like a silly noble with a desire only to keep face and not really to hunt. Rhonwen smiled at his acting skills; she knew she looked like a plain peasant in the simple dress she had worn over her bandit outfit to leave the castle, which was ideal. Nobody would look at her if there was any more interesting person in town, and she and Emile could slip right through.

A few soft footsteps brought her attention back to the road in front of her, where a young man now stood. He had a pleasant face, though it was already worn from a life of hard work, and his thick built frame was tall and fit. He winked and smiled, obviously observing that she was looking in his direction. She stopped hesitantly, and then began to walk around him, letting a small smile be her greeting and hoping he'd to the same.

"Hey, wait," the boy said, turning after her, "I haven't seen you in town before. You must be new here, or you would be going to the city where you're safe. Are you lost?"

"No, I'm just passing through," Rhonwen said, walking a little bit faster when he tried to fall into step at her side.

"That's good," he said, smiling flirtatiously and obviously not deterred, "Where are you headed? Kin folk?"

"The seashore," she said, knowing the only nearby village was to her left and she would be supposedly heading the wrong way if she said she was going there.

"Ah, it's definitely a lovely place to visit," the boy said, looking confused but still flirting, "Not much to do there, though, especially in this area. No beach cabins or fisher families live out there. Why are you headed there, instead of somewhere safe?"

Rhonwen was good at lying when in a political debate. She was good at lying when she needed something and it was the only way. But she had never been good at lying to decent people, as this young man obviously was. She bit her lip and pulled her hand up to push her fingers into her hair, immediately regretting her nervous habit. She could tell by the wide eyes of the youth at her side that he had caught sight of her hair and recognized her from the warning sent by the hunters. Not knowing what else to do, she immediately pulled her hand back under her cloak and started to walk faster. The young man seemed stunned for a minute, but quickly followed her and grabbed her by the shoulders, turning her so they faced each other.

"You!" he whispered excitedly, "You were one of the "royal messengers" that the Beast chased from the hunter's village!"

"No, no, I think you're mistaking me for someone else," Rhonwen said, smiling slightly and trying to move out of his grip.

"I've never seen a gal with that much hair, miss," he said plainly, smirking a little, "and I doubt there's more than one. Is it still following you?"

"What are you talking about?" Rhonwen said, now noticing that there were a few men casually looking their way, "Is what following me?"

"The Beast!" the youth said triumphantly, "Don't worry, if it is, I'll kill it for you and you'll be free from its hunt!"

"I don't know what you mean," she stammered, now completely baffled.

"I know that you and some of your friends were traveling through the hunter's village nearby when this mighty Beast set upon you!" the young man explained, "The villagers, not knowing what else to do, came running with guns and you all hid. Then the monster burst forth, carrying the body of a slain hunter, and warned the rest that you were all to be his kills only. You all ran and the Beast ran after you. But don't worry; now that you're here we can be prepared! We know much more about werewolves here, obviously, so now that one of his prey has come here, we can draw him here and end him!"

Rhonwen watched with horrified eyes as the young man prattled on about werewolves and werewolf prey, afraid of what might come next. She knew the old tales of werewolves and their chosen prey, and if she was judging right this village thought that they could kill the werewolf if they threatened to kill his prey before he could. The tales all said that when a werewolf chose its prey that it would not always immediately kill it, but stalk it for the thrill of the hunt. However, it would be fiercely territorial of its mark and kill anything that threatened or protected it. So, the logic followed that they would try to lock her here to draw the werewolf out of hiding. But there was no werewolf, and she was not his protected prey, so all it would amount to was her imprisonment. Emile and the others would surely try to free her, and she feared what could happen to them.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, "There must be some mistake. I am not being followed by a werewolf, so please just let me be on my way."

"I know, you're frightened it will catch you," the boy said, his face full of sympathy, "Since you're alone it must have split you all up, or you're the last. But we won't let it. It will be dead before it comes within three feet of you, you have my word!"

"Please, let me go," she said, trying to squirm away from him.

"I'm sorry," he said, a determined look coming to his face, "But for the safety of everyone here, as well as yourself, I'm going to have to keep you here for a while."

Rhonwen thrust her arms upwards, slamming her palms against the boy's wrists, and freed herself. She bolted for the corn field; barely making it into to field before the boy was on her heals, yelling for her to come back and drawing the attention of the men within earshot. Emile appeared in front of her a few steps into the corn field, grabbed her around her waist, and threw her onto his back in one fluid motion. He then ran at his fullest speed on all fours, with Rhonwen desperately hanging onto his mane with her hands, her legs gripping his torso with all her might. This was nothing like riding a horse, after all, and it was all she could do not to be dismounted.

She heard a yelp of horrified surprise behind her and knew that the boy would go out into to town now, yelling of werewolves. Emile apparently guessed that too, as he turned swiftly towards the center of town, nearly throwing her in his speed.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" she yelled, regaining her grip.

"AUGUSTINE!" he replied, bellowing to match her panicked yell as he broke from the cover of the corn field.

Of course he was right to worry. Now that the villagers had been informed by the boy about the young lady and the werewolf, they had caught on to Augustine's act and he was running to keep away from their grabbing hands and pleading voices, begging him to let them help him. Emile roared and it cleared a strait path to Augustine, people screaming and leaping out of the way. Augustine himself looked a little unnerved, frozen to the spot that Emile was charging towards. Emile reared up onto his hind legs and Rhonwen shrieked, wrapping her arms and legs around him just to stay on. He grabbed Augustine, threw him over his shoulder, and fell back onto all fours, running immediately. Rhonwen grabbed Augustine's hand and pulled him up as much as she could. It was a good thing she did, as he fell onto Emile's shoulders in roughly the position of a sheep being carried by a shepherd, unconscious. The stress must have triggered him to fall asleep again. Rhonwen held him as tightly as she could while they ran out of town, holding onto Emile's fur for dear life.

A few shots were fired by the men who'd been carrying arms, and Emile stumbled once, but continued to run onwards, now favoring his right leg. Rhonwen flinched and carefully looked back to see a large, perfect wound on his leg, every shot making a mark. She grabbed on tighter to his fur and pressed her face against his shoulder, knowing how much the running must be hurting him right now. He ran on, not slowing in the slightest despite his limp, but his ears flicked back at her and she knew he felt her there, trying to comfort him. Within ten minutes he had outrun the most prepared man of the hunters, who had been near a horse, and began to slow painfully. She was about to ask if he needed to stop and let them walk, but he changed direction to head toward the meeting place, swiping his tail over his tracks as he ran. Knowing she's probably not even be able to be heard over the footfall unless she yelled, Rhonwen decided to just pressed against his shoulder and hoped he wasn't in too much pain.

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><p>The parents were making quick time now that Vincent was healed. They had reached the border of the kingdom and passed into the next the day before, and Eugene was beginning to feel more hopeful about being able to reach the children before they reached someone else. Firstly, they were no longer traveling through thick, wolf infested forest, and so they didn't have to worry about navigation as much. Second, now that they were traveling through an inhabited area, there were sure to be some witnesses, even if their children had been as careful as humanly possible. And thirdly, he knew they would not be slowed down by the abundance of people in their group, as the children surely were, so they could be able to catch up to them. Smilingly, he lead the royal party into town, holding himself erect and intentionally trying to look important so that the people would move out of his way. It worked until they reached about the middle of the city.<p>

"Are you them?" a little boy said, stepping right out in front of Eugene's horse.

Eugene had no need to yank the reigns as Maximus had already seen the child and stopped (and probably would have taken it as an insult if he did). The child appeared to be only around three years old, if that, but he had put himself in danger to ask this question so Eugene chose to take him seriously. He looked down at the boy, a little sternly, and returned the question.

"Are he whom?" he asked.

The boy stuttered a little, obviously intimidated, and Vincent rode up beside Eugene to see the reply. Rapunzel, who had been riding beside Belle for a while, trotted up curiously as well.

"Well…you know, sir…" the child stammered, looking up at them with wide eyes, "The people being hunted… by that big wolf."

Vincent barely hid a growl beside him and Eugene's eyebrows shot up. This could not be good. Eugene was fairly certain of who this child was really looking for.

"No, son, we aren't," he said, dismounting so he could look him in the eyes, "We're looking for them. Do you know where they are?"

The boy shook his head sadly, his large brown eyes getting round.

"They went through my village, and the big wolf tried to eat somebody, and now all the babies and mamas have to stay in the city until the daddies can find the monster. I'm not a baby, but I have to stay here too. My daddy said that the monster would eat the baby and it was my job to protect him."

"Curtis!" a woman's voice cried out from inside the nearby house, "Where are you?"

Before the child could reply, the mother came out of the dwelling, her face red and panicked.

"I'm here, Mama!" Curtis called, waving to her, "I was just trying to get the monster."

"Curtis, you go back inside right now!" the mother said, suddenly noticing the royals, "Watch the baby. I'll be in soon."

The woman turned back to them, her eyes wary.

"Can I 'elp you folks?" she said, addressing Eugene.

"We are looking for the people your boy mentioned," Eugene said, giving Vincent a look to say he would take the lead on this one, "The ones being followed by a werewolf."

Eugene could literally feel Vincent's angry glare boring holes into the back of his skull, but he didn't look around, focusing all his attention on the woman. Her face had grown both soft and hard at once, the image of protective motherhood he had seen many times from his wife, and she took a step forward.

"Are you more hunters then?" she asked.

"No," Rapunzel said, dismounting and walking up, "Those are our children. We're trying to find them."

"Oh, ya poor dear," the woman said, her eyes growing softer, sadder, "They were hunted by the monster. All my village was rushed away, with only the able men left behind to defend our land from the brute. My own husband is our best hunter, and he said he would bring back the monster's head on a stick, and he'll be good on 'is word. I hope he gets to him in time, dear heart."

The woman placed a supporting hand on Rapunzel's shoulder, which Eugene could tell was not welcome from Rapunzel's end but she never flinched. He'd taught her well. She continued on in a gruesomely detailed story of the terror the Beast had done, which Eugene knew must have been mostly imagined but allowed anyway. At one point he even had to place a hand on Vincent's shoulder to stop him from breaking out into a rage of indignation at one particularily gritty and obviously untrue detail. When she finally finished, she ended with the proud statement that all the men from the village were still there, trying to find the Beast and kill it.

"We're not bad hunters ourselves," Eugene said, glancing at Vincent and noticing he was rapidly swelling with anger, "Where would we go to begin our own search?"

The woman swore that there were more than fifty hunters out already, but she gave them directions to the center of town, saying they'd need something to scent their dogs. Then she showed them the way to her village and they parted quickly. And none too soon, Eugene could tell Vincent was about to explode. When they got into a more crowded area where they would be less easily overheard, Eugene signaled a stop and the group circled to discuss their plan of action.

"They think my son is a werewolf!" Vincent spat venomously, however quietly.

"Yes," Philip said, looking him in the eye, "What else did you expect? We knew that someone would probably see him."

Vincent nodded but Eugene could see that he still fumed by his red face and darting eyes.

"Our next move should be exactly what that woman told us," Eugene said, drawing their attention back to action, "She said that there were items in the city that could be used to scent our dogs. That probably means that someone dropped of cloak or a bit of fur got stuck on a branch as they made their exit from her town. We need to go and see if we can quietly collect those items, as they will be invaluable to finding them and we don't want any more hunters out there gunning for Emile."

And so the parents were off again, this time swifter, for the sooner they got there the sooner they could help their children.

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><p>Belle rode alongside her angered husband, understanding his feeling completely. Over fifty strong men were hunting her boy, trying to kill him like an animal and make him their trophy. The more she thought of it, the sicker she became, knowing the kind of man that might be out there. Her husband had ably handled one Gaston, but Emile was on the run from a multitude. Belle could not feel anger though, as her husband so swiftly did. All she felt right now was desperation; she had to find her son and she would go to any lengths to achieve that.<p>

After a short ride they came to the center of town, where there were about thirty different carts, all claiming to have something that would aid in the werewolf hunt. Only one, however, drew her attention. Small bits of cloth were cut up and put into bottles, which were swiftly being sold. And, the worst of it all, she recognized that cloth! That was her son's cloak, the one she had given him and the one she hadn't found in his wardrobe after he left for his adventure. She rode swiftly towards the cloak, her husband following after her, and gasped when she drew nearer. There was still a large piece of the cloak uncut, and it had two large rips which looked caused by gunshot. The rips were accompanied by large, dark, dried red stains, each looking like a fair amount of blood. Her hand shot up to her mouth and tears came to her eyes. Emile!

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><p><strong>And there's the chapter. Hope to hear from you all!<strong>


	25. Chapter 25

**Hey, don't worry, I did not abandon you! My mom moved out and took the PC with her, leaving me with a brand new laptop to begin college. However, all my files ended up traveling with her on that PC, as I forgot to grab them off onto my backup drive before she left. So, GAH, after dealing with all that I've finally written another chapter, and I hope you guys will forgive the terribly long delay. I know I left it on a cliff hanger, and holding out of you for so long is cruel. So here you go, enjoy, and know that the next one will come out sooner than this one did!**

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><p>Emile was feeling strangely peaceful. Almost completely, in fact, despite the many reasons he had to feel otherwise and the sensible side of his mind telling him to worry. For example, at the moment he was conscious of five hunters on their trail who he could physically hear, several who were just out of active range but occasionally made large enough sounds to hear, and knew there were uncounted others. And, of course, the last two encounters with humanity had left him with gunshot wounds. But the wounds were healed by Rhonwen and today seemed the kind of day that only allowed for a peaceful mindset. So he trotted along, the sun on his shoulders, and allowed his worries to trail somewhere behind him.<p>

He walked beside Rhonwen, as his horse had escaped during the last sprint, as had two others. Diana now rode with Edward and two of the brothers shared a horse as well, but that was not an option for him. Only his own horse had been large enough to seat him. So he was on foot now. It was not as much of an inconvenience for him as he knew it would have been for one of the others; his stride matched the horses, so he had no need to saddle-run. But his feet were sore and he was growing somewhat weary. Nevertheless, all that he could feel was a light, contented happiness.

The day was beautiful, for a start. He had never been to the Southern Kingdom, much less in the beautiful Summer weather, and he couldn't help but be enchanted by the softer, sandier soil, the more delicate foliage on the trees, and the glorious skies above them.

And then there was the fact that he was walking beside Rhonwen; small amounts of joy were unavoidable at the sight of her today. She wore no cloak, as their cover was well and truly blown now and it was too warm to wear one otherwise, so all of her incredible hair was visible and she was back in her bandit outfit. The messy braid, which looked more and more like real rope every day, was still tied around her torso in her favorite X pattern, which she said made it easy to access but more manageable to carry. And, despite her not being able to unbraid and comb or brush her hair, it still managed to gleam golden in the sunlight, setting off her modestly tan skin (probably from the several days spent outdoors) and her large, green eyes.

Finally, he couldn't help but be excited about the fact that they were getting so close to the ocean, so close to the next large road mark on the unsure map of their adventure. There they could speak to Melody's grandfather, Triton, about the stories of his father Poseidon, and maybe they could find a way to locate Circe. It still made him uneasy that Circe had appeared to Rhonwen, giving her veiled threats without anyone else being able to help her. For a moment his troubles caught up with him and Emile's hackled rose slightly just thinking about it, which drew a glance from Rhonwen. _A glance from Rhonwen…_

"Emile?" she asked, her large eye rounding with worry, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing really," he said, trying not to seem too outright in his admiration, "Just thinking. We should be arriving at the seashore in no more than a day at this speed. And it occurs to me that we've never planned for what we'll do when we get there."

"That's true," Rhonwen said, her eyebrows going up in surprise, "I hadn't even thought of it. I guess we had just been so busy trying to get through the village areas that planning that far ahead seemed…"

She seemed at a loss for what word to use for the end of that sentence. Emile read her meaning however, and the most obvious word came from his mouth before he could think about it.

"Useless?" he said, then immediately regretted it.

Rhonwen turned a little bit pink and looked away. She probably hadn't wanted to admit to herself out loud that it had ever been unsure that they would make it through. Emile flicked his ears back in embarrassment and the two trotted a few steps without saying anything. Then, gratefully, Rhonwen started up the conversation again.

"So, what did you have in mind?" she asked, turning back to him.

Emile couldn't help but stare a little bit as she turned. There was a small, inquisitive smile on her face and her eyes were large and encouraging. And so very green. But he caught himself quickly and looked away, trying to appear thoughtful. In truth he had only started the conversation so that she wouldn't think he was worried. He had no idea what they should do next. But she waited for him to think of something, and eventually the beginnings of a plan laid itself out in his mind.

"Well, first we should find out exactly how Melody plans to contact her grandfather," he said at last, meeting Rhonwen's eyes again, "And how long it will take. After that, we might have to make another circle, since she'll probably have to send word by messenger and the journey both ways could take some time."

"Another circle," Rhonwen said, her brow furrowing, "back through territory we've already cleared."

Emile knew what she meant and cringed. There were already hunters waiting for them that way. But he continued on, sure of his plan.

"We can't wait by the shore," he said, "We would be surrounded and trapped within a day. And we can't move along the shore for the same reason. No, if it will take more than a few hours, three at most, for him to come, which I'm sure that it will, then we'll just have to circle and get back to the same place by the time he arrives."

Rhonwen nodded, and looked straight forward, brow furrowing in thought again. Emile was suddenly aware that walking on all fours, like he currently was, he was much below eye level for her and it must to straining her neck to continually look down. He straightened up onto two legs and lengthened his stride to match the horse. Rhonwen looked over and smiled, noting his obvious motivation no doubt. Emile's fur fluffed out a little bit, and he hoped it wasn't too obvious that he was blushing under it.

"We should find out exactly what sort of time limit we're dealing with," Rhonwen said after a little while, "That way we'll know how big a loop we will have to take."

"Agreed," Emile responded.

The quiet that followed was comfortable, despite that quiet footfalls coming from a half mile behind them. Emile smiled to himself and turned back, heading towards Melody to finalize Rhonwen's and his plans.

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><p>Vincent was not a quiet man. Vincent was not a patient man. And Vincent was not a man with any shortage of temper problems. Currently, all three of these, his greatest weaknessesstrengths were hindrances to him, as the opposite seemed to be sitting directly to his right and it was driving him mad. Eugene had barely moved for the last hour, hadn't spoken or uttered a single sound and seemed perfectly comfortable continuing on like this until kingdom come!

It wasn't that Vincent was incapable of staying still for long periods, far from it. He was a skilled hunter and knew their purpose in being here. They were waiting until the last few people in the village square were gone. Then, they would "remove and dispose of" all the items up for sale there that could lead other hunters to their children. And by "remove" Eugene had meant "steal shamelessly," which Vincent had no problem with whatsoever. The shame surely belonged to these people, who sold scraps of bloodied clothing off of his son's back. Despite what Belle told him, about these people knowing no better and doing only what they thought they must, Vincent could not help but see red before his eyes whenever someone stopped at one of the sale tents. Eugene had had to stop him from flying off the handle when one person had inquired if bits of the "werewolf's" hide would be sold as souvenirs.

And that was what irked him about his companion at the moment. Usually, it was Eugene's incessant chatter that irritated him, but he had begun to enjoy some of his lighthearted jabs and the following debates. Eugene would fly freely from one topic to another, sometimes stopping in the middle of a seemingly important conversation to remark that spending too much time on a diet of dried meat could have unfortunate results on the digestive tract. Now Eugene was like a completely different man, silent and grave as a tombstone, with as much focus as a trained hawk on a bait mouse. Vincent had never seen that side of the man before, and hoped that it did not emerge often.

Eugene must be seeing a different side of him too, Vincent realized this. He knew that he was a different man when he was angry; he was a beast (pun fully intended) when his ire was stirred up and there were few that could stand him when he got into such a state. It had always been his greatest weakness, and always would be, that he grew angry easily. But now, unlike many times in his past, the situation was worse because he was not selfishly angry. He was angry for his son, treated like an animal. He was angry for his wife, who he watched while she suffered. And, while his selfish anger could usually be tamed by logic, selfless anger was another matter entirely. If something didn't happen soon, Vincent was going to grab somebody's throat and make something happen!

As if reading his mind, Eugene suddenly moved, sitting up straighter and looking along the street. The man who owned the hunt shop where Emile's things were was locking up. Vincent sat forward too, ready to spring into action at any moment. Eugene put him hand across Vincent's chest, quiet and collected, and the two waited, perfectly still, until the man had walked down the street and turned the corner. Then Eugene leaned forward on the balls of his feet, studying the area around him. Impatience bit at Vincent's heels as he watched, but he silenced it, knowing that Eugene was the professional when it came to these things.

Eugene signaled to move with his hand, and the two of them flew across the street soundlessly. Eugene was immediately against the front wall of the building, almost invisible in the dark of the reversed crescent moon. Vincent imitated this posture to the best of his ability, but the roof was short and not at quite the right slant for him to do so completely. Never in his life had he envied and man for being smaller than he was, but now he was coming close.

Within seconds, Eugene had the lock off the door and they were inside. Vincent held open a large sack and allowed Eugene to do the flying around the store. He was actually somewhat awed by how quickly Eugene did it; the cloak was unpinned from the wall and in the bag, all the scraps were collected, and he was doing a second sweep of the store before Vincent could have gotten the cloak halfway undone. Seeming satisfied with his work, Eugene signaled that they leave and Vincent secured the sack. Just as quickly as they were in, they were out again, the door closed slowly behind them and nothing disturbed besides what they took. Vincent had to hand it to him; Eugene really did know how to steal.

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><p>Rapunzel was worried for Belle. When she had seen the cloak in the town square, Belle had almost fainted and Eugene was forced to come up with a quick lie about her "weakness around blood." And since seeing it she had barely said a word to anyone, even her husband, who some in their group desperately wished she would talk to. Vincent had become almost impossible to deal with, and Eugene had had to think quickly several times to stop some simple, misinterpreted but harmless statement from one of their party from becoming a brawl to be remembered. Rapunzel had seen Belle calm him several times during political debate by speaking a few words into his ear, but she had not wavered from the unfocused, worried facial expression for hours. Rapunzel finally went over to sit beside Belle, hoping that company would draw her back.<p>

"He'll be alright," she said, speaking of course about Emile, "Rhonwen is there, she can heal him. He's going to be alright, and no more hunters are going to be going after him. Eugene and Vincent will make certain of that."

She received no reply and so just sat in silence beside her friend. Justinian shot a worried glance in Belle's direction, and Rapunzel only shrugged slightly. Sometimes words were just not enough.

Gratefully, the silence did not last long. Eugene and Vincent returned swiftly to their camp, which they had made just beyond Osimandias. With the city behind them, they would receive no questions about the missing scent items and could continue on, secure in the knowledge that they were covering the children's trail.

They cut a small amount of the fabric from the cloak and then set up to burn the rest, as it was too risky to carry too large an amount of a scent that so many were hunting for. Finally Belle moved, but the movement brought tears to Rapunzel's eyes. She embraced Vincent, and her body shook softly as Eugene laid the cloak on the fire. It was then that Rapunzel remembered her mentioning something, about Emile at least having the sense to take the cloak that she made for him. She imagined having to burn the turquoise dress that she had made for Rhonwen when she turned eighteen and gasped slightly, knowing what this meant. It was like burning to only small piece of her son that Belle had seen since he ran away.

Rapunzel's thoughts went to the children, and she again thought of her daughter and prayed that she could keep safe. She knew that her daughter could take care of herself, but she also knew that she would never leave any of her companions behind and had the tendency to self-sacrifice that would alarm any mother. Rapunzel knew her daughter. She knew that if her daughter had the opportunity, that she would give her life just to save that of someone else. She knew that if it came down to a choice between herself and another, Rhonwen would always choose selflessly. And she prayed, oh how desperately she prayed, that her little Rhonwen would never have to make that choice.

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><p><strong>And that's this little bit, hope you like it! And again, sorry for the time gap!<strong>


	26. Chapter 26

**Hey, told you the next one would come soon! And this one is special, though all you that left a review for me know that already! See, I give bribes too! I'm addicted to reviews!**

**In all seriousness, though, I would like as many of you as possible to please leave a comment for me after this one. The format is a little different, out of nessecity, and I promise a mini spoiler about the next chapter to all who leave their opinion of this one for me. I regard this story as a learning experience, and you guys have been the best teachers! So don't be shy with the feedback and advice, trust me I need it!**

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><p>It had been a full day since Emile had begun to formulate a plan with her over what should be done when they reached the ocean. Rhonwen was glad of this, as they had managed to put the hunters further and further behind them, using some of her father's old tricks to confuse their dogs. The closest hunter was now around six miles away, or at least so Emile estimated, so they would not had to worry about being impaled by a hunter's arrow or shot in the immediate future. And they had covered a great deal of ground, indeed meeting Emile's expectations for their arrival time at the ocean shore.<p>

Rhonwen could scarcely believe it when she felt the familiar slide under her of a horse's trod on beach sand. She couldn't believe her ears when she heard the waves or her eyes when she saw them. But the thing she had the most difficulty believing was Melody when she said that the ocean was going to bring the message to her grandfather and he would be there within the hour. Rhonwen hadn't even tried to get an explanation for that one. She just outlined the backup plan with Emile in case something happened to delay the "minor sea god" and decided to let events play out as they may.

She had found herself doing that a lot lately. Everything around her was so chaotic, and plans just never seemed to go right, so her plans were becoming a lot more flexible. And she was putting a whole lot more work into her backup plans. Rhonwen sighed and dismounted, as the others were currently doing. She removed her shoes, because she was at the beach, after all, and walked towards Emile barefooted in the sand.

That was something else she noticed. When chaos happened, she usually took time to really adjust to it. It was hard for her to just snap into action when she needed to, she needed to have some sort of plan, and she was sure that if it had been entirely up to her the group would never have made it this far. But it wasn't and she was grateful for that. Emile was always there where she wasn't, strong where she was weak. She didn't know where he'd learned it, never having left the castle or anything, but he could just act when circumstances required extreme creativity. Perhaps it was just in his nature, like healing was to her. That was probably it. He was just a born leader. He was looking at the waves with a queer expression, and she smiled curiously as she drew nearer.

"What are you looking at?" she asked, following his gaze and seeing only the water.

"Nothing," he replied in that thoughtful voice of his, and she smiled again.

"Then what are you thinking about while looking at nothing?" she asked.

Emile smiled, and she could see the wonder on his face when he turned to her. He really did have a nice smile. Terrifying, if all you counted was the fangs and horns, but his shy blue eyes made up for all of that. Such ad unusul color blue, too. They were not a gray blue, like most that she had seen, nor bright sky blue like Melody's. And they weren't the color of the ocean waves around them either. The only color that Rhonwen had ever seen that closely resembled them was in one of the tapestries back home, and her father, who knew a surprising amount about tapestries (esspecailly he expensive ones) had said it was made with a rare dye called cerulean. Dark, deep blue, too dark to be royal blue and too light to be navy. Cerulean. Precious and rare.

"I've just never seen anything like that before," he remarked, looking back towards the water.

Rhonwen looked out at the ocean, suddenly understanding his wondering expression. This was the first time he had ever seen the ocean. Well, yes, of course she already knew that, but it hadn't sunk in until now. The ocean had been a part of her life from the time she was a very young child. When she was small her family would go to the shore for an outing and she would run through the shallows with Rufus. And now she still enjoyed going to the water, even though she couldn't go out very deep into it any more for fear that her hair would pull her under from its weight when it got wet.

_Rufus._ She couldn't help but wonder how her twin was doing, running the kingdom all on his own. She was struck with a feeling of guilt. It was her doing, mostly, that had led to this whole fiasco. Her brother was only expecting to have to run the kingdom for two weeks, and now it had been nearly a month. Was he worried too, out there on his throne on their little island home? Were he and his young wife doing well and temporary rulers of a country, or were they as much scrambling for survival as she was? She hoped he was doing alright.

Suddenly inspired, she grabbed two of Emile's fingers (it was impossible to grab his whole hand, it was just too big) and started to pull him towards the water. Not surprisingly, he was a bit hesitant.

"Rhonwen…my fur…perhaps…" he said, obviously looking for a reason to watch the water at a safe distance only.

"No glory without risk, Emile!" Rhonwen said, pulling him harder.

_Not that it would make any difference if he wasn't such a pushover_, she thought fondly. There was no doubt that if he truly did not want to do something, there would be nothing she could do physically to persuade him otherwise. There would be nothing _Augustine_ could do. But, even so, Emile trudged slowly after her, looking somewhat less than enthusiastic with his ears flicked back.

She turned and began to splash her feet in the water, laughing freely for the first time in a while. She turned back to Emile and saw that he was smiling, and gingerly stepping into the water. He almost looked like a large cat by the way he was walking, tenderly placing one foot after another as if he regretted every movement for dampening his fur more.

She also saw that Red had seen her in the shallows and was running in that direction, shedding shoes and stockings along the way and lifting her dress in a tomboy fashion that made Diana utter a less than enthusiastic sound. She looked even less approving when Red shed her petticoats so that only the thin outer layer of her skirt remained by the time she ran splashing into the water. Augustine, however, looked far more than enthusiastic and was in the process of losing his shoes as well, which was hilariously awkward, as he slipped several times for watching Red instead of his own hands. Edward looked like he might have joined in, but a stern look from Diana told him otherwise, and he (adorably) seemed far more than content holding her about the waist and watching instead.

Melody lost no time in shedding her shoes either, looking wild and strangely at home among the waves, as if it was not too much to expect for her to dive under them and never return. Rhonwen could not help but stop and stare when she saw her, as her already beautiful face seemed illuminated by the water. Her large blue eyes were wide, and a sly little smile stole across her face, as if she could not stop it. Her black curls whipped out behind her and when large wave came up it moved around her like a living thing, wrapping her in sea foam and blue green salt water, which set off her sky blue eyes.

Rhonwen looked for Akram, hoping he was seeing this, and was gratified to find that indeed he was. He stood at the very edge of the water, just out of reach of the waves, stretching his neck forward as if trying to get closer without moving his feet. Rhonwen tilted her head curiously, looking to Akram's brothers to see their reaction to their brother's strange behavior. Strangely enough, Ahmed and the others were looking on with faces ranging from somewhat put out and left out, to all out fear. Not even one made a move towards the water, all staying at least five feet behind Akram. Some pleasures weren't for everyone, Rhonwen supposed.

She started towards Emile, who was looking somewhat caught between laughing with joy and fretting over his wet fur. He looked laughable, really, so out of place and yet perfect right where he was. Deciding that she would tip the scale for him, she ran/splashed her way up to him and then playfully swiped the water into his face, laughing as she did it. He barked a laugh, surprised, and imitated the gesture, only a lot more water came her way than had gone his. She screamed and laughed shrilly as she was drenched, and then splashed him again, this time turning and making a quick getaway before he could retaliate. There was a small outcropping of rocks a little bit towards her left, and she ran towards them hastily, hearing him splashing up behind her.

She was gasping for air from both the run and her laughter when she made it behind the rocks which were rather large and made of a tough, semi water resistant granite. She leaned against one on them and calmed down. Suddenly, she realized that something was not right. It seemed sunnier somehow, more perfect even than it had been before, and there was not a sound besides the gentle splashing of waves. She knew that Emile should have been right behind her, but when she looked around the rock there was nobody there, only the ocean lapping up against it. Instantly she had her knife in hand, and she called out in as menacing a voice she could manage on the short circumstances.

"I know you're here somewhere, Witch!" she yelled, pushing her hair back with her free hand.

A laugh echoed across the beach, even though Rhonwen was fairly sure that was impossible in such a large area. However, it gave absolutely no inclination of where she was, and Rhonwen suddenly remembered her friends and went back behind the rocks where she would be hidden, if they were still where they were before. Last time she hadn't been able to see Emile when he was right in front of her, and Emile was the one she was most comfortable being that vulnerable around.

Turing her back to the rock, she spoke again in a quieter voice, knowing her enemy could hear her.

"What's the point if hiding if surprise is lost?" she asked trying to sound brave and cocky like Red.

"What is the point of bravado when you and I both know you're outmatched?" the thick, sultry accent returned, "We all have our little shows."

Rhonwen turned in the direction of the voice, which happened, strangely enough, to be up. She held her knife up in a ready position, not knowing what else to do, when she spotted the woman lounging delicately on the top of the rock, her head propped easily against her hand. Again, Rhonwen found it difficult not to stare, either at the woman's beauty and grace or simply the revealing nature of her dress. She didn't even think it could be called a dress. Her underwear covered more than the shimmering gold fabric that wrapped around the woman's breasts and the separate scrap that was tied around her waist, barely concealing her at all. And, of course, her statuesque figure was dark golden tan, just as before, her hair the exact color and luster of the fabric that almost clothed her. Gold glinted in the whites of her eyes, which offset the only part of her that could not be described as golden. The irises of her eyes glimmered like emeralds, and her hair blew in the breeze, somehow not becoming messy or tangled but remaining as perfect as a statue. For that was what she seemed, a moving, breathing statue, to beautiful to truly be of the living real world. Suddenly, Rhonwen's mind was drawn to Melody, standing in the water, her blue eyes glimmering with the same unpredictable mystery that this woman's had. Only Circe's lacked the kindness, the humanity.

"What do you want, Witch?" she tried to growl, coming out more or a disgruntled huff than anything else.

"I want to save you some time, child," she replied, sitting up a bit more, which only furthered the view of her exposed curves, "You seem so eager to find me, to demand answers of me, I thought I'd just come and answer them for you here. Otherwise it will add months to your journey, and while I don't mind the wait, you'll lose your quarry if you choose that route. Even she will catch on to you eventually, bless her poor, stupid little head."

"Wait, who are you talking about?" Rhonwen asked, completely lost.

Suddenly Circe was no longer on top on top of the rock, and Rhonwen jumped when that low voice sounded behind her.

"All in good time, child," she said, her unmoving lips frozen in a smile, "First, I should warn you of a few things. As you already know, you are the only one who can see or hear me. But, what you don't know is that I am now the only person who can see or hear you. When we have finished our little talk, I will return you to the moment which I stole you from, and it will seem as if you never left. Aside from, of course, the new information you will carry with you and the proof with which I shall provide you. After all, though I am not mortal, I have an imagination and can imagine how bothersome a thing such as time must be to little creatures like your friends. You'll need some way to convince them."

"How kind," Rhonwen shot back sarcastically, earning an appreciative smirk, "But forgive me if I don't take everything you say on your word alone. My friends aren't the only ones who will need proof, and you'd better hope that they can't see you."

The laugh echoed again, this time emanating directly from Circe. It seemed too large for her, somehow, like it was meant to be the laugh of a giantess and was placed inside of her by accident. Her brilliant white teeth showed in a feral grin, and chills ran up Rhonwen's spine. Never had she seen a smile so alarming, so threatening in all her life. This woman seemed more like an animal now, brilliant and beautiful, yes, but with a savage temper and moods that changed with the wind.

"Do not try to threaten what you do not understand, child," her voice said patronizingly, and the smile lessened into an almost motherly look, "You can't win against me. But luckily, you won't need to. I do not intend to fight you."

"Then what do you intend?" Rhonwen said, trying not to sound subdued by the sudden changes of the woman.

"Please, pay attention," Circe said, her voice sounding mildly impatient, and her smile seeming more patronizing even than before, even somewhat bored, "I've already told you, I come with information to aid your quest."

"Why would you want to aid me in a quest against you?" Rhonwen said, more confused than ever.

"_I already said that too, harpy child,_" her voice said, as her smile regained some of its more dangerous glint, "Your quest is not against me."

Then Circe abruptly turned and walked in the opposite direction, gracefully, with no movement out of place, but with definite displeasure shown. Rhonwen saw no choice, really, but to follow. She had dangled the information in front of her like a carrot before a rabbit, and now she simply had to know what was being kept from her.

And all at once, she no longer found herself walking barefoot on the beach sand. She was standing in a garden, surrounded by the walls of a massive house, with tall ceilings made completely from glass. There was no real flooring, but instead there was perfectly level earth, covered by emerald green grass softer than the softest carpet in her castle. To her right there was a large open chamber, with a table seated for over fifty men. On the table was a meal fit for fifty kings, ever kind of meat, fruit, and sweet ever tasted.

On the left, she saw the wall of the house open to the outdoors, where there was a multitude of fruit growing in a picture perfect garden, with not a single overripe or spoiled fruit in sight, and several strange animals walking lazily about the grounds. A tiger glanced in her direction, and to her surprise she did not see animal eyes in the beast; no, those eyes were human. Confused, even hazy, but definitely intelligent. The creature turned away and continued to peruse the garden at its leisure, not even taking note of the horror with which Rhonwen was staring at it.

Unable to stand any more of this sight, Rhonwen looked behind her and saw a massive green curtain, hiding what she felt sure was a large room behind it. She swiveled again, turning her back to the curtain, and saw something she knew had not been there a moment before. There reclined Circe in a massive throne directly in front of her, backed by large windows or green and golden glass. Rhonwen was reminded of the windows in Emile's library. Such an image would have fit perfectly in some such window, beautiful yet so terrifyingly unreal. When Circe moved, Rhonwen could not help but jump, and Circe smiled again, this time somewhere between amusement and cruelty. Rhonwen had seen so many different smiles from this woman, and each so different. She hoped that she would never see her grimace in anger; her smiles were frightening enough. When Circe spoke, the halls echoed with her grand, low voice.

"Welcome to my home, child."

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading, and spoiler bribes to those who comment! Spoilers! Who could possibly resist?<strong>


	27. Chapter 27

**And here's the next chapter! Thanks for the reviews, and, as promised in the spoilers to reviewers, this chapter goes a little bit into the enchantress' backstory. Enjoy!**

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><p>The child gasped when she saw Circe and held her little knife up further, and adorable but pointless gesture. Circe smiled. It had been some time since she'd had anyone amusing to play with on her little island home, and much longer since it was a woman. Mostly, her guests were shipwrecked sailors or boat passengers, and only two such guests had ever been women. A woman could die without female company from time to time! So Circe was glad to have the girl here, despite the fact that children of that age tended to try her patience. (Children of any age tried her patience, but especially those from one to about three hundred.)<p>

"Welcome to my home, child," Circe said, smiling.

"Where am I?" the child asked, not two seconds after Circe said it.

If she had been younger or more inclined to be undignified, Circe would have rolled her eyes. But as it was, she settled for being sorely tempted.

"You are on my island, Aeaea, whelp," she snarled daintily, only allowing a small amount of venom into her voice, "And, for the last time, pay attention when I speak to you. I will not repeat everything I say."

"Why did you bring me here?" the child asked after a pause, obviously needing to think.

Well, at least this question was constructive, if not creative.

"I grew tired," Circe said, standing and walking down the stone steps towards the child, "You see this island is my home and my provider. I rarely leave it. And I never leave for very long. I prefer to be at home, where I am queen of my own domain."

The child meditated on that for a moment, and Circe let her. She wanted to see just what kind of a mind the little creature had, and if she could really do what she set about to do.

"So this island is your power source?" she said, looking around her, "You need it to do your magic?"

Circe smiled. The little chickadee was not terrible bright, but she had understood. At least she had some sort of mind in there. Circe stepped off the last stair, reached the same level as the girl and couldn't help but wonder at the size of the thing. She was so _small_. It boggled her mind how someone with the possession of such powerful magic could be so short. Circe stood what must have been at least a full foot taller than the little creature, and she was not considered terribly tall among the immortals. But then, that was it, wasn't it? The girl was mortal.

Circe couldn't help but think of another little mortal, another woman who had, for a time, shared her Aeaea. Only, that child had not been small, no, she grew to be Circe's height and almost as beautiful. Such a waste.

The mortal child must have noticed the shadow that Circe could not keep from her face when such thoughts came about. Her little brow wrinkled and she looked at her with a facial expression that Circe could only call a mixture of apprehension and curious concern. It made Circe smirk and the little brow went back to guarded caution as before. The whelp was _concerned_ for her. Yes, this would be very entertaining.

Not answering her question, Circe continued.

"It has been some time since I have had a guest," she said, stepping towards her sitting table, which she had made to appear behind the child a moment before, replacing the banquet table, "Join me, and try to entertain me with at least some mild form of communication."

The bitty looked a bit offended at that, and Circe smiled sarcastically. Mortals were so easy to offend. They wouldn't last a day among those who had lived as long as she had. But, despite the look she was directing at Circe, the girl followed and sat at the very edge of the chair opposite Circe, as if prepared to run or fight at a moment's notice. As if either would do her any good.

"You said you wanted to tell me something," the girl began after several moments of silence proved that Circe would not start the conversation for her, "What was it?"

Circe smiled at the child's directness. Of course, she would want to know. And she wouldn't have to courtesy to engage in small talk first, because in the mad scramble for achievement that was the mortal life, it would be considered a waste of time to speak to someone about the weather when you desired to speak of something more important.

"Just a little bit of history," Circe said, flashing her teeth in a mischievous grin, "Something that will help you with your little dilemma about your friend, the animal."

"He is _not_ an animal!" the girl said, losing what little temper mortals had, "And how would you know anything about what happened to him unless you're the one that did it? But you said that my fight was _not_ with you, so that must mean you're going to accuse someone else."

Circe's fiercest smile took hold, her white teeth fully bared and her shoulders straightening. She did not like to be told she was wrong, especially when she wasn't. The child noticed her posture and her mouth closed, though her eyes still flared with defiance. She had a strong will; Circe had to give her that. Not many mortals would have the courage to remain assertive in the face of and immortal's wrath. After a moment Circe relaxed and the child took a slightly less defensive stance.

"I plan to tell you a story," Circe said, pretending that the child's little outburst had never happened, "It is long, but I am sure you will find it interesting, as your _beast_ friend is not the only one injured by the tale."

Anger rumbled behind the girl's green eyes, but she remained silent and Circe smiled. This was what she needed, right here! A mortal, so easily broken, and yet strong in a way that some immortals had yet to learn. This little pet could finally do what needed to be done.

"It begins long ago, with an immortal goddess of magic," Circe said, a reminiscent smile adding a strange distance to her features.

The child jumped as the lights dimmed to almost nothing and she saw movement coming from the table. Circe smiled indulgently. She did begin the story without warning her, after all. She looked as if she might run when a thick, pale mist floated over the table. But as the mist that had risen over to table took shape to form the image of Circe, small like a doll, moving about the table as if bored, the girl watched it with something resembling fascination and fear. Circe continued, with the little characters in the mist moving along with her story.

"She was the daughter of the mighty sun god, Helios, and the Oceanid called Perse, who protected and lived in the sea around the islands," the faces of Circe's parents appeared and disappeared quickly as she said this, leaving nothing more that ghostly mental images behind them, "Her father had given her a small island to live on, along with her two hopelessly boring half-sisters, and that island was called Aeaea. She had been alone there and bored for some time, as her sisters did nothing but mind her father's cattle and she was left to her own. So she decided that she desired a daughter. Not a son, which she had had before and not found terribly pleasant or entertaining, but a daughter, a young, strong woman, whom she could teach to be as formidable an enchantress as she herself was."

At this the little Circe image perked up, as if with an idea, and the story continued on.

"She went to the sea, and using the magic she had learned and the powers of water inherited from her mother, she made a small copy of herself from the water," suddenly, beside her image, there appeared a little blond child, as beautiful as Circe remembered her, "It was beautiful and perfect, and the goddess loved it dearly so she thought to go her father and ask his blessing for the child so that she could be made an immortal."

Here her father's image appeared before hers and her daughter's, looking forbidding.

"Her father did not allow this, however, because none of the children that the goddess had yet brought forth had been worthy of immortality," her father's image shook his head, and her own burst into dramatic tears, "But, seeing that this upset his favorite daughter, he promised that no one would kill the child, nor would she die, unless she left the island Aeaea and the goddess gave permission to her killer."

Here Circe noticed that the little mortal's brow furrowed and the mist evaporated abruptly, the dark closing around it like a cloak and leaving only shadow. The child started and peered through the darkness, so Circe illuminated her own face for a moment so that the whelp could see her displeasure.

"Are you not enjoying the story, whelp?" she asked, irritated slightly.

"Well," the mortal asked, looking up, "I was just wondering why the mother would ever give permission to the daughter's killer. Wouldn't that be as bad as if she was hiring an assassin?"

Circe couldn't help it this time. She actually laughed. This child was so, so very mortal. Once you have been in the world as long as Circe had, love was no longer the same; at least it was not the same for Circe. She did not bother to explain that, though, as the child could never understand how someone could love someone else and still want them dead. She just bid the child to pay attention and brought back the glowing mist.

"The child grew up healthy and happy, learning much from her experienced mother," the images showed the child changing from a toddler to a young woman, blooming and full figured, looking just like her mother, "But eventually, discontent filled her heart. Her mother had given her everything she desired, but it was never enough for the ungrateful child. She wanted to learn things before it was safe for her to do so, and she wanted to leave the island. Her mother, of course, refused, and so the child stole several of her mother's magical items and left in the night. And the mother vowed that never again would her daughter be under her protection, not after such a betrayal."

The little image of the daughter turned her back on the mother, and the mother did similarly.

"Then, the daughter did far worse than even leaving the island. She bound herself in a friendship with a _fey_," the last word was spat with venom, and the image of the fey appeared, long and graceful, with a long, black, bat-like cloak and spiraling horns on the top of her head, "This fey, which called itself Maleficent, taught her some of the magic it knew and promised her more, should she only owe it a small debt. For such is the way with fey, they never give without taking. And the daughter, that foolish child, agreed, even coming to regard the fey with feelings of fondness and admiration. Feelings she should only have had for her mother, who was meant to be her mentor."

The images showed the mother watching angrily while the daughter followed Maleficent here and there.

"And, during this time, the daughter found herself feeling attraction to a mortal male, another thing she was far too young to properly understand," here a handsome man with curly black hair appeared briefly, "He was using her, and she allowed it, bearing a daughter by him. When he left her, she went to the fey, who killed the man brutally in exchange for another debt from the daughter. But his child remained, and the daughter grew to love the pathetic little thing, even when it became apparent that it was even more sadly mortal than she was."

The images showed the little girl with curly black hair grow into a woman, and Circe paused as the mortal girl before her gasped in recognition. Circe smile and the mist churned.

"Yes, child, the mortal's name was Gothel, probably a familiar name to you," and the vindictive blue eyes glinting from the image turned to the mortal girl, just because Circe wanted to see her shiver, "The daughter loved her offspring dearly, and it grieved her when she watched her child grow old and frail before her eyes. She did not wish to owe the fey another debt, despite her foolish camaraderie for the sick creature, so instead she returned to the one she should have been with the entire time, her own mother."

The daughter image walked up to the mother image here, holding the hand of an old looking Gothel behind her.

"The mother, of course, was not inclined to help her after her behavior," the image of Circe looked rather harsh in her posture, "She told her daughter that she could not even gain immortality for her own child, much less that child's offspring. But eventually the tears of her daughter wore her down, and the mother went to her garden, uprooting one of the five Morning Sun Lilies that her father had given her when he first gave her the island. These flowers were blessed by her father with healing abilities, and they were very rare, only given to those he most loved. Giving it to the daughter, she said that this would be her last favor and warned her to plant the lily somewhere safe and hidden, where the mortal woman could use it to prolong her life."

The images showed the daughter taking and planting the lily, and soft voices singing the haunting melody of the lily's magic. Circe smiled darkly when the girl's hair began to glow as well, ignited by the voices. Its glow did almost nothing to light the magically dark room, only giving off a small light like a one firefly on a moonless night. Circe looked to the girl, her smile growing as she knew the child's full power was revealed. Thee girl met her eyes, not shying away, which only made Circe smile more. This was what she needed.

"Of course, you know what follows," Circe purred, and the images showed Gothel taking Rapunzel and the Gothel falling from the window, hitting the ground as only dust, "The daughter, distraught, returned to the mother to beg her to bring the mortal back to life, but the mother would hear nothing of it and could have done nothing for it if she had. The mortal woman had already used the most powerful magic that the mother could have thought of to live for hundreds of years. It was simply time for her to die, as the magic would have been losing its power for her anyway. Sickened with grief, the daughter then ran to the fey and begged it to do something. The fey delayed her, however, as it was busy with a petty grudge against the local royals, but it promised that in exchange for a very large third debt that it would settle the matter when it was finished."

The daughter's image fell on her knees and begged Maleficent, who nodded coldly and walked away.

"The daughter waited for the fey to finish, grieving for her mortal child and becoming darker in her pain. But the fey never finished with that grudge," here the image of Maleficent changed into a black and purple dragon and was killed by a chilled, enchanted sword, "Apparently, it had earned itself a few grudges of its own. The daughter heard of its death and was heartbroken, for that meant that not only had the fey she foolishly called a friend died and became nothing at all, as fey do when they die, but in its death all hope of bringing back her offspring was lost. For she had never learned such magic and could not produce the power necessary for it if she had. She had only learned the most basic of magic, spells which depended on circumstances like that effecting your friend. Any spell she could then or can now lay would be fragile at best, easily broken compared with that of someone with experience. And so, the mortal woman was permanently lost."

The image of the daughter wailed with grief and Circe could not help but notice that the mortal girl had tears in her eyes. What odd little creatures mortals were, that they could see someone who had caused them no end of trouble and pain and still feel sympathy for them in their own pain. Circe shook her head, smiling a bit incredulously, and finished her tale.

"And so the daughter swore that she would not rest until those who were responsible for her suffering had suffered as much as she had," here the little image shrieked with fury in a painfully realistic way, "And who were those responsible? The mortal royals, of course. For who else had killed her daughter, or her fey companion? She did not realize that she could never make them suffer so, because every day added to her pain and there would never be an equal to it in her mind. Vengeance often clouds logic in this way. And so she set out to curse as many royals as she could, planning her final destruction of their houses. And, more than any other, she wished to see ended the Kingdom of Ringdorn, as their current queen was the downfall of her child."

At this, and image of Rapunzel's face appeared, followed swiftly by the grimacing face of the hateful daughter. Circe had stopped watching the images herself, more interested in the reaction they were getting from the girl. She looked terrified and saddened, and just generally miserable. Now was the time. She released the mist again and met the girls eyes from across the table, raising the room's lighting to a comfortably dim glow.

"Child," she said, not unsympathetically, "You know of course that the goddess is me, and now you know that this enchantress who has been plaguing your kingdoms is my daughter. The time has come for her to end, for she is not as she was meant to be. She is no longer the innocent child I love; she is twisted with hate and longing for blood. And you and your companions have my permission to kill her."

Circe was not surprised when the girl looked away, obviously burdened by her new knowledge. She smiled sadly. This one was so much like what her daughter used to be. But Circe no longer bothered to wonder at what point her child had changed. She only knew and cared now that she _had_. When the mortal girl looked up, Circe expected her to ask for advice or to solemnly promise something or other and smiled acceptingly. What she actually said could not have surprised her more.

"What is her name?" the child said, tears brimming in her eyes.

Circe's eyes widened in complete surprise. But finally, she managed to choke the one word through her throat, a word she hadn't spoken for over sixty mortal years because it was too painful to do so.

"Aega," Circe managed to reply at last, and for once, she wasn't smiling.

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><p><strong>Tell me what you think and I give rewards! I think I'm keeping this bribing idea, btw, it's probably going to be permanent!<strong>


	28. Chapter 28

**This one is a little longer than usual, hope you enjoy! And I have definately made up my mind that the bribe thing is permanent. I have gotten so much good feedback!**

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><p>Rhonwen sat before Circe, stunned. The story she had just seen was tragic in more ways than she could possibly count, and Circe was almost flippant about it. True, the pain was still there, but she hid behind her smile and her manner. A less perceptive person could have thought her completely unaffected by the story. The way she spoke of those involved; separated and lightheartedly detached, was too careful and calculated to be natural. When the story finally ended and the enchanted mist receded, Rhonwen was crying. She paid it no mind; it was only human to be saddened by such a terrible sequence of events. When Circe gave her permission to Rhonwen to kill her own daughter, Rhonwen swore that her heart broke for this woman, this evil enchantress who had been cursing everyone she came across. Not even her own mother was her friend in this world. There was just one piece that Circe had left out and it was something Rhonwen was almost desperate to know. She had to ask for what was missing.<p>

"What is her name?" Rhonwen choked, feeling smothered by her own tears.

The looked that came to Circe's face could have broken a sheet of glass. The smile was gone, and her face became distant as if she was traveling back in time, but not to a happy time. A few seconds passed, and Rhonwen almost thought that she would never answer, just stay in whatever memory she had turned to, but Circe eventually said the one word in a quiet, heart rending voice.

"Aega," she said, her eyes welling up.

The two stayed like that for a few moments, just frozen for fear of the pain that further discussion might bring. Then Circe smiled, sadly, and turned to her.

"You have heard my tale," she said quietly, "Now I must give you proof, as surely the word of a witch is worth nothing."

Rhonwen felt like she could either glare daggers at this woman or embrace her. It was a frustrating feeling. But she couldn't help but admit that Circe was right. She would need more proof than just a seemingly valid story to send her running after this other woman. And the others would need that proof even more than she did, as they did not even have the story to convince them. _The others!_ She had completely forgotten! How long had she been here already? As if she was reading her mind, Circe answered her unspoken question.

"You are in an immortal place, child," Circe said, smile growing large again with amusement, "Time only has meaning here if I want it to. For all that time is concerned, you have not been here at all. When I return you, which I will, it will be as if you never left."

Circe stood and walked towards the back of the room, towards the curtain.

"Come here, mortal," Circe beckoned, almost sweetly, "I shall give you your proof."

Rhonwen stood and followed her warily. She didn't have much of a choice, after all. She was stuck on this island, completely at Circe's mercy, and the best idea was probably to stay on Circe's good side lest she end up a tiger. Circe reached out and took hold of the curtain, gracefully pulling it backwards. This alone was worthy of an awed look, as the velvet curtain hanging down all the way from the incredibly high roof seemed anything but light, but what was behind it quickly banished thoughts of the curtain itself. The room behind the curtain, as Rhonwen had suspected, was enormous. It was well lit, though the room behind her remained at the same comfortable dim light it had been before the curtain opened. She could reach out her hand and see the clear line between the brightness and the room behind her, as if there was an invisible wall separating the different shades of light. And all about the room were counters, tables, and stands, each bearing its own mysterious collection of objects. She was draw to one table, the nearest, as on it there was a simple but beautiful mirror, gold in color and delicately ornate. She would have reached out and touched it, but she was afraid to do so, as it was clearly something magic and she didn't want to turn into anything unpleasant. Without realizing it, she looked back to Circe with a questioning expression, wordlessly asking permission to touch it. She regretted it immediately, as Circe's smile was nothing if not mocking, but Circe nodded slowly and Rhonwen turned back to the mirror with as much dignity as possible. She picked it up gingerly, still not fully trusting it.

It was impossibly light, which made Rhonwen afraid almost that she would drop it as she could hardly feel it in her hands. It seemed to be made of the purest gold, and so should have been very heavy, but though it felt metallically smooth it was as light as a piece of dense fabric. She stared at it for a few moments before she turned back to Circe and found her a lot closer than she had remembered her. Startled, she jumped and watched with dread as the mirror dropped from her hands. She was certain that the next moment it would shatter, for it had to be very fragile because of its weight, and the moment after that she's be a squirrel. So she winced, her eyes closing involuntarily. When she didn't hear it break, so opened her eyes and looked down to where it should have fallen. It was not there. Confused, Rhonwen's eyes shot frantically about her, until they settled at last on the mirror. It was right where it had been before she picked it up, looking like she hadn't touched it at all. She looked up to see Circe, now somehow directly in front of her instead of behind her, smiling and gesturing to the mirror.

"One of my seeing glasses," she said, holding out her hand in the direction of the mirror.

It came to her as if it had a will of its own, and she cradled it in her hand. Then she looked up to Rhonwen, smiling quizzically.

"What would you like to see?" she asked, turning the mirror to Rhonwen.

Rhonwen's eyes widened and she looked from Circe's face, to the mirror, and back again. She did not even know what to say.

"For the sake of continued conversation, I will choose for you," Circe said, a mildly impatient tone to her voice, "Show me the child's mother."

Circe commanded the mirror and the surface began to move like the mist in the story, the reflection shaping into the image of Rapunzel riding a horse beside Eugene, looking absent and worried. Rhonwen felt a pang of regret. She knew she was the cause of her mother's worry, and that had never been the goal. Then Rapunzel started and looked up with a concertrated expression, as if she was staring directly at the mirror. And as suddenly as it had appeared, her mother's image was gone in a swirl of the misty image, leaving only Rhonwen's reflection in the mirror.

"Why did you take it away?" Rhonwen said, not realizing just how much she had missed her mother until her image was gone.

"Your mother was sensitive to the magic involved in this spell," Circe replied with a surprised smile, "She noticed the feeling of us watching her, and after a moment of looking for the reflection as she was she would have seen us. That would have been unfortunate. Most do not notice as she did."

Rhonwen thought of this, puzzled. So it was a two way reflection? If she could see the other person then they could see her, and all they would have to do was look? She decided after a moment that magic was just a complicated thing and that she's break some part of her mind if she tried to understand it.

"Would you like to see another image, perhaps of someone less magically inclined?" Circe asked, now sounding like a proud inventor showing off her creation.

Rhonwen thought for a moment. She couldn't look at her father, as her mother might see and apparently that was a bad thing. And, if she had understood Circe correctly, her friends were frozen in time, so nothing would have changed with them from the last time she saw them. Suddenly struck by inspiration, Rhonwen looked up to Circe.

"I know who," she said, excitement finding its way to her voice.

"Simply tell the mirror," Circe said, smiling indulgently, as if to a small child.

Rhonwen hesitated, looking at her reflection in the mirror ambiguously. Then she spoke.

"Mirror?" she said, not sure how to address a not-so-inanimate-object, "Show me my brother."

The image rose and Rhonwen started, her eyes widening. There was her brother, clear as day, as if the mirror was right before him. There was his dark red, almost brown hair and brown eyes; there was his usual blue vest and casual dress, complete with black soft leather boots. But something was different from the usual. He had a sword by his side and he was glaring fiercely at something directly before him, his eyes burning towards something just above the mirror. And, to Rhonwen's surprise, it appeared that seeing was not all that the mirror could do.

"What have you done to her?!" her brother shouted to whomever it was behind the mirror.

The response was quiet and impossible to understand, but Rhonwen could tell that it was not what Rufus had wanted to hear. His face grew even grimmer and he held his sword at ready. As he said this the mist returned to the edges of the image, only to clear again just as quickly. Rhonwen looked up to Circe, whose face had taken on a hint of frustration. Then she satared back at the mirror.

"You can try your best, Witch!" he said, stepping out into a full ready stance, "But know this, the Royal Family of Ringdorn does not end with me! And they will find you!"

Rhonwen was watching in complete horror now, and so hadn't noticed the expression on Circe's face until Circe made a small sound of frustration. She looked up to see Circe's brow knit with concentration and a grim set to her mouth. Unable to restrain herself, she looked back to the mirror, thinking to clarify things later, after the image was gone. The image wobbled, however, as if the mirror before her brother was moving in a faltering hand, and suddenly her brother was no longer before the mirror at all. In his place, there was a woman with frightening green eyes, pink/red skin (apparently flushed with rage and excitement), and a terrifying grimace. Circe turned the mirror away from Rhonwen, facing it towards herself instead. Though because of this Rhonwen could no longer see the woman, she could still hear her voice through the mirror as her venomous tone sliced through the air.

"Oh, Circe, how pleasant of you to check in on me," she said, a poisonous smile evident in her voice, "And you have the little Ringdorn bitch there with you. I see family still means nothing to you."

"Family means plenty," Circe said, a fierce smile taking hold of her features to match the one Rhonwen assumed her daughter directed towards her, "Former family, not so much."

"Former family indeed," the voice from the mirror spat, "I never was your family. You always knew and accepted that one day I would die, and that you could just make another daughter to take my place. I was never your child, I was your possession, and now you're bitter because you can no longer own me."

"Knowing that death is inevitable does not make it any easier to bear," Circe said, her smile growing angrier and taking on spite, "You of all people should know that."

Rhonwen froze, paralyzed by what she was hearing. She did not know how two people could both hate and love each other until this moment. These two women knew eachother better than anyone else in the world knew them. They had been togther for untold decades, maybe even centuries from the way Circe spoke. And yet, the bitterness in their tone was enough to make Rhonwen's throat close involuntarily. The voice on the other side of the mirror was silent for a few moments, and from the triumph on Circe's face Rhonwen could tell that she was hurt too deeply to speak by Circe's last remark. Rhonwen watched Circe in horror. A new emotion lingered at the back of her mind, souring everything it touched, and Rhonwen hated the feeling of it. _She considers it a triumph to hurt her own daughter like that. _In that moment, Rhonwen's mind finally decided on what feeling to assign to Circe. She had been caught between awe and irritation, between sympathy and enmity. Now all she felt was this new emotion, and Rhonwen had never felt anything like it before. It was harsh, it was cold, but worst of all it was logical. It was beyond even hate, because hate is most often irrational and could be solved because it applied to something that the person had done. This feeling applied to the person herself, and Rhonwen nearly cried at the pain this revulsion brought her.

When the mirror responded, it was not with words, but with a furious screach and a terrifying concussive sound. Rhonwen heard a scream which she recognized to be her brother's voice, and involuntarily reached for the mirror, trying to pull it from Circe's hands. Surprisingly it worked, probably because Circe was surprised that she tried, but at least Rhonwen could see what had happened. What she saw was to woman standing over her brother's limp form, smiling cruelly down at him. She gasped as she took in the sight; her brother's head was darker red than it should have been on the right side and he didn't move at all. The woman looked up again and Circe snatched the mirror back from Rhonwen's hands, leveling a disapproving glance at her that could have curdled fresh milk.

"I know your little assassin is there, Circe," the mirror hissed, "You needn't hide her from me. In fact, I have a message for her. Tell her that I have placed all royals not included in her party of brats under a spell. A little thing I learned from Maleficent."

"As if anything gleaned from that despicable creature could be called learning," Circe cooed, her smile growing more mocking.

"She may not have cared about me at all," the voice said quietly, with a focused anger to its tone, "But at least she was honest about it. Face me towards your little pet murderess. I grow tired of seeing you."

Circe glared at he mirror and then glanced at Rhonwen, and Rhonwen nodded. She was not afraid of these hateful women, witches or no witches. She put what she hoped was a resolute look onto her face and glared at the mirror when it faced her, meeting the evil enchantresses eyes.

"So I hear you and some of the other heirs and heiresses have decided to seek me out," the woman purred, her teeth glinting and her flushed face blaring against her golden hair, "Very well, I find no problem with that. You see, the only solution to the spell binding your fellow royal swine is my death. You wish for a fight? I shall grant one to you."

"What could that possibly gain you?" Rhonwen said, taking the mirror in her hands furiously, "All that could possibly do is make us want to kill you more!"

"Yes, I know, I'm brilliant," Aega replied sarcastically, "For now you will all come to me. You know where I am, what I have done, and the potential harm I could do to those you love."

Here she paused, bent down, and stroked the hair back from Rufus' unconscious face. Rhonwen felt the blood rush to her face.

"Don't you touch him," she hissed, sounding more dangerous than she had though possible.

Aega's response was a smile, mocking and deliberate, and she stood and stared at the mirror.

"We know that what you have there is a trap," Rhonwen said, her mind flying as she tried to think of something more to say or do against this horror before her, "What if we don't come?"

Aega actually laughed, and the sound sent chills down Rhonwen's spine. It was a cruel and merciless thing, more full of hatred than any laugh had the right to be. Even Circe's laugh had more mirth than that, though the similarity between the two was remarkable.

"Don't waste my time, wretch," she spat at last, he face growing closer to the reflection, "I am mortal, I know how it works. It does not matter that you would be knowingly marching into a trap, nor does it matter that you will most certainly die. You will come, because those you care about are being threatened. I stand to gain the deaths of the heirs and heiresses to all the royal kingdoms in one simple battle, and what do I have to lose? If you defeat me, of which the chances are very slim, all that would mean to me is the end of a painful existence. You cannot threaten someone who wishes they were never born. When I see you, I hope that you are at your best, for I surely will be."

And at this, the reflection was gone, leaving Rhonwen to stare in horror at her own reflection.

"This is why it is generally avoided to look on someone with any power in magic," Circe said quietly after a few moments, the smile on her face as close to apologetic as it could ever be, "They can take part of the control in the reflection, so that the bond is two sided. And, apparently, she has learned something from playing around with the mirror she stole from me when she left here, as she made it impossible for me to close the connection as soon as she became aware of its pressence. I would not have allowed the mirror to look upon your brother had I known she was with him."

Rhonwen just stared blankly at the mirror, not even acknowledging that Circe had spoken. This was partially her fault, after all. If she hadn't enraged Aega then perhaps Aega wouldn't have hurt Rufus. But then Rhonwen sighed, letting that poisonous line of thought leave her mind and trying to push the ugly feeling down. This was no more Circe's fault than Rufus'. Circe had only reacted as she normally would, and it was clear from what Aega said that she would have held Rufus hostage and contacted she and her friends somehow anyway, even without the mirror. This encounter was inevitable, it just happened sooner than anyone had been expecting. She looked up and met Circe's eyes, the truth of what she now had to do putting a strength and resolution to her features that she could have never supplied alone.

"I have to go back," she said simply.

Circe nodded, giving her a sad, almost soft smile.

"Yes, of course you do," Circe replied, "But not just yet. I have several things which you will need, as proof for your friends if nothing else. This seeing glass is one of them."

Circe turned as if to walk towards one of the other tables and held to mirror out behind her, towards Rhonwen. Rhonwen took it, and Circe stepped elegantly forward, moving far faster than she seemed to through her physical movement. Rhonwen trotted the few steps to where she stopped before another table, holding the mirror carefully as she did. On this table there were two objects, a small vial and a long, gold, dangerous looking but elegant dagger.

"This serum tonic," Circe began, holding up the vial, "will heal any wound, even a mortal wound. You must simply reach the person before they are dead. I know you wonder why you, Child of the Sun, would need such a thing, but it will be essential to your quest."

"What did you call me?" Rhonwen asked, her brow knitting at the use of the alien title.

"Child of the Sun," Circe repeated, smiling in an almost motherly way, "Your magic comes from the Sun Lily, which your grandmother used while she carried your mother. She did not use the song, but dissolved and drank the lily. When she did so it changed your mother's blood; it gave her a touch of my father's magic, a magic far more powerful even than my own. This magic is a sign of my father's direct blessing, and it will carry on in your family, though it will grow weaker as it becomes more diluted by marriages. So you are considered a part of the family. Not a direct daughter, such as myself, but favored nonetheless."

Rhonwen blinked, not knowing what to say to this new information. At the thought that she was somehow related to Circe or Aega, even distantly, the feeling returned and Rhonwen forced it down again. Apparently, she did not need to say anything at all, as Circe continued on.

"This dagger and the mirror were gifts to me from my father on the day I became an adult," she said, lifting it with a smile, "Its power is strength. It is a weapon to be used in an all-out attack; when your enemy knows of your presence it will make your attack twice as strong. It was given me with a mate, which had a silver sheen and was a gift from my mother. The power of that dagger was stealth, and it aided in an attack against a more powerful enemy. They were meant to be used together, but my rebellious daughter took the mate when she left my Aeaea, along with the mate for the glass you currently hold, which has equal power to its mate. I will give both of them to you now, with the hopes that you will unite them with their lost matches. You may keep them until I ask for their return, and I may not have need for them for another thousand years or so. May they be of use to you and your mortal kin until that time."

At this Circe placed the vial in Rhonwen's left hand and tied the dagger to Rhonwen's hip with a gold tinted chainmail sash. Rhonwen stared down at the objects before her, and then looked back to Circe.

"I will now return you to your time and place," Circe said, and suddenly her smile looked sad again.

Rhonwen felt a tug of sympathy, but then she remembered the revelation the argument brought and it was erased by that feeling. If this woman was lonely then it was nobody's doing but her own. She nodded her head curtly, pressed against the cruel feeling once more, and followed Circe, who turned and began to walk. After taking several steps she found herself on the beach again, surrounded by the gentle sound of the lapsing waves.

"Fare thee well, Child of the Sun," Circe said, sounding as distant and mysterious as she had the first time Rhonwen heard her.

"Goodbye," Rhonwen returned not knowing what else to say.

And at that, the goddess of magic was gone, as well as the sunny perfection that came with her. She was standing on an ordinary beach, in the ordinary sun. In her hands were a magic mirror and a vial of healing potion, and at her hip was a magical golden dagger. And she could hear Emile coming around the rock through the water. Rhonwen breathed deeply, then turned to face him, accepting the mission that was now before her. She had to find Aega, she had to defeat her, she had to save her family and the other royals. She would do this, had to do this, and there was nothing that could stop her now short of death itself. She looked up and met Emile's eyes as he came around the boulder. He stopped short, his ears flicking forward, immediately noticing the change in her demeanor. Then his eyes moved to the objects she now held out in front of her and returned to meet hers with a question. Well, at least she wouldn't have to do this alone.

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><p><strong>Next chapter's coming soon! Please leave your thoughts, I give rewards! And cookies to those who can name movie elements in this chapter!<strong>


	29. Chapter 29

**Hey guys! Did you miss me? College at its finest, what can I say? But here's the new update at last, ready for all of you! Please leave me a comment, I give spoiler rewards to reviewers. **

**This one, in all honestly, took me a while to write. Not only was it difficult to find time, but I had a hard time trying to make the characters do what they needed to do to finish the chapter. They all have minds of their own, after all, and not a single one of them wanted to do what I had planned. (sighs dramatically) But we finally came to a compromise that left everyone happy, I'm glad to say. **

**Oh, and sorry this is so long, but one more thing. I'm working on a few drawings of the characters and I wanted to know what scene do you guys favor for the cover picture? I think the cover characters should be Rhonwen and Emile, but any scene in the story between those two you'd prefer me to use? I'd be glad of your imput.**

**Ok, you can stop listening to me and read the story now. Thanks guys!**

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><p>Rapunzel was awake in the early morning in her and Eugene's room. They were in the little inn they had stopped at in the neighboring village after leaving Osimandias. It was the day after they had burned the cloak and then made tracks towards the children's location. They had made time and had stopped for the night to sleep in a bed for the first time in over a month. Rapunzel had felt guilty knowing that she would be comfortable in a bed when her daughter was goodness knows where, but Eugene had made the valid point that it was no use to the children for them to sleep in the bushes, and not smart with and inn nearby anyway.<p>

Rapunzel rolled her feet out of the bed and turned to glance at Eugene, who was nearly comatose beside where she had been lying. _Odd,_ she thought, _he's usually awake well before I am._ Still, it was good to see him looking so peaceful. He laid facing away from her with his hands curled up under his head. Smiling at her sleeping husband, Rapunzel decided not to disturb him and went to check on Belle across the hall. She was worried for her friend, who had said very little beyond the necessary since they had burned the cloak. She heard quiet from the room within and knocked on the door gently. Nobody answered, which was strange because in the little time she had spent with the newly healed Vincent she had learned that he was an infamously light sleeper. Infamous because if you woke him he did not wake up happy. Rapunzel figured it was just that they were comfortable, but instinct told her to knock again. She couldn't explain it, but she knew something was not right. She rapped on the door again with her knuckles, louder this time so that she was sure it would wake Vincent. Silence answered her.

Now with enough evidence for worry, Rapunzel opened the door slightly to check on her friends. They were laying very still, their arms wrapped around each other. She didn't want to intrude, so she knocked again on the now open door, sure that this time she would be heard or she would at least see a reaction from the couple. When they didn't move at all, Rapunzel opened the door fully and walked over to them, to make sure they were breathing. She could see the gentle rise and fall of their chests, but on closer inspection she knew something was seriously wrong. They were pale, as if their bodies were only doing the very minimum to keep them alive. And they didn't move at all. Not a twitch of the eye, not a slight shift to become comfortable, nothing. Rapunzel turned and walked hastily back to her own room, worried now about her husband's unusually late slumber. She jumped onto her bed and took his face in her hands, saying his name.

Eugene didn't respond to her at all. He was chilled and pale like the others, but still breathing. Rapunzel shook him, slapped his face gently, waved smelling salts under his nose, and sprinkled his face with water to try to wake him, but he reacted to none of it. Rapunzel then ran to the room where the two servants from Vincent's household were staying and knocked frantically on the door. She heard and mumbling sound from within and knocked again, encouraged. The elder, named Lumier, came to the door and opened it with a patient but drowsy look on his face. When he saw his visitor, and nodded his head in a small bow and addressed her cordially.

"Queen Rapunzel," he said drowsily, "What might I do for you?"

"There's something wrong with my husband and Vincent and Belle!" Rapunzel said quickly, "I need you to go and check on the other two then come to my room to tell me if they are the same."

"Of course, madame," he said, immediately awake, "Henri, wake up!"

She turned and ran back to her room as she heard the servants having some sort of discussion in French. She found Eugene exactly as she had left him, still as death. She banished that thought from her mind and ran to the bed, lifting his head. She sat where his head had been and lifted him slightly so that he rested with his head on her shoulder. Then she wrapped her arms around him and held him close to her, trying to feel the small bit of warmth that still came from his body. She took comfort in each breath that she felt and soon she found herself clinging to him with her legs wrapped around his waist and her arms around his chest, her face pressed against the right side of his neck where she could feel his pulse. Tears blurred her vision and she strove to drive them back. He was alive. That was what was important for her to remember, she couldn't panic because he was alive and he needed her. And so did Belle and Vincent, and possibly Philip and Justinian, not to even mention the children. She couldn't let herself lose control of her reason.

_Eugene_, she thought as frantically as she could allow herself, _please wake up!_

She didn't know what it was in her that registered the difference, but in that moment something changed. It was an infinitesimal difference, hardly noticeable unless you were looking for it, but Rapunzel's hair stood on end and the shiver up her spine told her more than the suddenly bright sunshine coming through the window.

"If you did this, I won't let the children come anywhere near you," Rapunzel said with a dangerous calm tone, her voice clearly displaying the protective instincts that were flowing through her body, "I will kill you myself."

A laugh was the reply to her comment and Rapunzel changed her position as quickly as she could, so that Eugene's unconscious form was behind her and she could shield him. She had no weapon, but she knew a decent amount of hand on hand and she was prepared to fight tooth and nail.

"I'm afraid you're too late to keep her away from me," the accented voice said at last, and Rapunzel spun to the sound, as it came from right beside her.

There was Circe, stunning as ever in a brilliantly glowing gold dress, her hair cascading down one shoulder and braided up over the other. She smiled wider when Rapunzel saw her. Rapunzel didn't give her a spare moment to do more than that, however. She lunged towards the woman's throat. She would have made contact too, accept the woman's throat simply wasn't there. Her hands went right through her neck and she almost fell to the floor ungracefully, but she forced herself to regain balance so that her husband would not be unprotected. Circe smiled again, looking like she might almost laugh, and Rapunzel's face burned with embarrassment and fury.

"You really think I would come here in person after a spell has been placed on your companions, mortal?" the voice said firmly, her eyes narrowing, "I knew you would blame me, as you have no reason to do otherwise. But, unlike you so obviously believe, I am not here to cause you or your _mate_ any harm."

Rapunzel redoubled her position, knowing that there was little she could have done against the woman in the first place but not wanting to put on the appearance of surrender. The witch smiled broader again, amusement plainly evident, and adjusted herself into a better position to face Rapunzel fluidly.

"I was made aware of the little problem the royals now have," Circe said, gesturing to the unconscious Eugene.

"Don't you even look at him," Rapunzel scratched out threateningly.

"Please," Circe said, smiling indulgently, "I have no interest in your pet man. I just thought I should inform you that the rest of the royals are in the same condition."

Rapunzel braced herself as if to try another strike instinctively, and Circe saw the gesture and raised a hand delicately.

"I am not the one responsible," her voice said quickly, "And I know you don't believe that so I will make the rest of my little message brief. You are the only one who can help the other royals, and therefore your daughter. She and her party have not been affected, but _all_ the other royals have fallen into a similar dilema. Am I clear?"

Rapunzel thought of the information that was just given to her. All the other royals? Why did she put such emphasis on…Rufus! Rapunzel's eyes shot wide and the woman beside her smiled triumphantly.

"What did you do to my son!?" Rapunzel almost screamed.

The witch sighed in a put upon way and murmured something about family resemblance before she answered.

"For the last time, mortal," she said, smiling rather mockingly, "I did not do this. But yes, your precious offspring is in danger. Both of them. And it is up to you to save them. Use the power that only you possess. And you must find the other royals as well, as many as possible. The better of your two pups is in danger, and she may need you and the other parents to come to her rescue."

And at that, without another word, Circe was gone and the brilliant sunlight vanished. Rapunzel could have screamed with frustration, but just then the two servants knocked on the door. She pulled herself into a less frantically protective position and bid them to enter.

"Are the other two the same way?" Rapunzel asked.

"Yes Madame," the younger, Henri, answered her, "What are we to do? Is it an illness?"

"No," Rapunzel said, standing and stepping towards them, "There is an enchantment upon the royalty of the kingdoms."

"Madame, I beg your pardon?" Lumier began, "If there is an enchantment here, upon royals of every kingdom, then why are you not also under its spell?"

"I think I know," Rapunzel said, grabbing and chewing on a piece of her hair in thought.

"You know why you are left untouched?" Lumier asked.

"No," Rapunzel said, looking up with resolve, "I know what to do."

* * *

><p>Emile knew something was wrong as soon as he saw Rhonwen. The first thing he noticed was that she looked tired, as if she had just been doing something very hard that had taken hours. The second thing he noticed was all the strange things she was now carrying, objects in each hand and a dangerous looking golden dagger on her hip. He saw what looked to be a gold version of the mirror the witch had given his father in her right hand and a small bottle of some sort in her left, and he knew what had happened.<p>

He looked back up to meet her eyes with a single question on his mind. Was she alright? Had she been hurt in any way? But the green eyes didn't answer him as they usually did. They were clouded with something, and while he saw worry and resolve in her facial features, her eyes seemed distant and hidden. After a moment she looked down pensively and the expression was hidden from him entirely. Not satisfied with what he saw, he stepped forward and placed a hand gently on her shoulder, as if she was something very fragile and oh so precious.

"Rhonwen," he said, trying to get her to meet his eyes again, "Are you alright?"

Green eyes met blue again, this time with a little light of surprise peeking past the strange cloud that had sullied them before.

"I'm…fine?" she said, accidentally ending it as a question but starting her next question with a more focused look in her face, "Aren't you going to ask me what happened?"

The fur on the back of Emile's shoulders bristled and she noted it quickly, and then focused back on his eyes.

"I know what happened," he said, his tone gentle but urgent, "The witch appeared to you again, didn't she?"

She didn't ever answer that with words. She just stared back into his eyes, as if she hadn't seen them in weeks, and nodded. He placed his other hand on her opposite shoulder, his ears flicking back and his brow furrowing with worry.

"Did she harm you?" was the first thing out of his mouth, followed swiftly by, "What did she say this time?"

Rhonwen smiled, a small, sad little smile, and leaned towards Emile gently. Emile's eyes widened a little bit as she pressed her face against his chest and wrapped her arms around one of his. She pulled herself closer to his arm and leaned her back against his chest. Emile was stunned, and all his mind could process was that he felt her small shoulders against his chest with each breath she took. She stayed there for a few moments, just holding on to him, before his mind caught up with reality and he placed his other hand on her shoulder worriedly again.

"Rhonwen?" he asked softly.

"Thank you for being the same," Rhonwen said quickly, holding his arm tighter instead of letting go like he thought she would when she spoke again.

Still incredulous but at least partially mentally functional now, he pulled the hand from the arm she was holding up, so that his arms was now as wrapped around her as she was it.

"Why would I have changed?" he asked gently, trying to sound comforting.

"Because everything else has," Rhonwen said softly, and Emile could tell that she was either crying or about to start by the tightness of her voice.

He pulled her closer, and for a moment it was just the two of them, Rhonwen grasping his arm with all her might and Emile holding her securely, stroking her head gently with his other hand. That moment was perfect, and in ended far too quickly for Emile. He would have liked to continue on like this forever. But Rhonwen and he both heard the footsteps on the sand coming from the other side of the rocks, and both of them loosened their grips on the other simultaneously. Rhonwen stepped away gently, letting go of Emile's arms as she did. She turned and smiled in that strange and sad way at him, an alien expression on her features. Then she turned towards where the footsteps were now growing close and Emile stooped to pick up the objects that had been in her hands, which he had just realized that she dropped when she reached out to hug him. He brought them to her as the footsteps' owner came around the rock, and wasn't he just the last person either of them wanted to see now.

Ahmed stood well up onto the shore, a smart-alecky smile plastered on his faced and all over his posture. And, upon seeing the two of them walking towards the shore just as he arrived, the smirk grew to a full out grin, catlike and irritating in its perceptiveness. Emile felt strongly tempted to roll his eyes, but knew that would only encourage him.

"So, we have yet another pair of lovebirds do we? Suspicions made valid?" he said, leering at Rhonwen's wet dress as he did it.

Emile came then to the conclusion that simply breathing encouraged Ahmed, and so he rolled his eyes anyway. Ahmed chortled.

"You two need to stay within sight of the main party," he began in a mocking tone, obviously repeating a speech he had repeatedly heard himself, "There will be no touching of any sort. You will not speak in hushed voices, you will not be seated beside of across from each other at dinner, you will not…"

"Ahmed, shut your mouth and use your eyes for once," Rhonwen said in a quiet voice, so serene despite what she was saying, "I've been visited again by the wi…by Circe, and I need to get everyone gathered to the shore as quickly as possible."

If the situation hadn't been so serious, Emile would have laughed out loud at the look on Ahmed's face. Rhonwen had never been so short with him. Emile would have considered that in itself to be a miracle, had he ever seen Rhonwen be short with anyone. Instead, Emile glanced worriedly at Rhonwen. Something more had happened then she was going to tell, he knew it. He'd have to ask her when he found another moment alone with her. Maybe she could share the burden she had obviously taken on if it was just him. Something had changed about the way she was carrying herself, and it worried Emile.

Ahmed turned on his heel and walked towards the other brothers, who were in the process of daring each other to touch the water. Walking like he was the king of the world, probably as some consolation to his bravado for the recent hit it took from Rhonwen, he strode up to them and announced his message in a loud voice.

"HEY!" he yelled, getting everyone's attention, "Rhonwen has supposedly had another meeting with the witch, so everyone get here now!"

Everyone looked over to Rhonwen for confirmation and saw her walking quietly across the beach towards where Ahmed was, Emile trailing just behind her. They all stopped their frolicking in the water immediately and each walked towards the shore. Augustine offered a soaking wet Red his overcoat when they reached their belongings, which she ceremoniously scoffed at and continued towards Rhonwen. Augustine smiled slightly and followed after her. Melody looked reluctant, and glanced once more out to the water before stepping again on the land, where Akram strode up and walked beside her to the group, both vividly aware of how their hands almost touched. Edward and Diana walked hand in hand towards the party. They all came to stand beside each other, each staring at Rhonwen expectantly. Rhonwen had her hand wrapped around her waist, and one hand went up to her head, running through her hair nervously. Emile held out the new items to her and she took them, glancing at him gratefully. He figured it might help her to have a visual aid.

"Ok, so I was just running around in the water with you guys when I ran behind this rock over here and Circe…" she began, but the universe seemed set on making this explanation the most difficult it could be, because that was as far as she got before a deafening sound of a wave interrupted her.

Emile started in surprise, the fur standing off of his shoulders. She saw all the others do likewise, with a few of the brothers even looking like they might run to take cover. All but Melody, who turned towards the sea, beaming. Emile looked at the ocean next and found that it wasn't a wave, but a giant swirling cylinder of water shooting from the surface of the ocean. And riding that cylinder, which swirled and formed around him, was a man. Or, rather, half of a man. Emile could just see his waist where his skin turned to the blue green scales of a fish. He wore a crown, sharp and commanding, and his white hair flowed down around his shoulders, melding with the long beard that spread across his chest. Despite his obvious age, he was muscular and imposing, holding a large golden trident in his right hand. There was no doubt as to who this was.

King Triton had arrived.

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><p><strong>Leave me a comment, be it about the chapter or the cover! I love hearing your thoughts!<strong>


	30. Chapter 30

**Next chapter, here it is! Spoiler rewards for reviewers, I kid you not!**

**Ok, so I've gotten a few comments about what picture I should use but I'd like to hear just a little bit more from you before I decide, so be sure to leave your opinion. And, to answer publicly a question I got a couple times, I do intend to draw couple pictures of all my pairings shown in this story, and will include links for them once they are done. Don't worry, you'll see what they look like soon! **

**Let me know what you think, either about this chapter or the cover. And enjoy!**

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><p>Rufus awoke in the throne room, lying on his back on the marble floor. His head was splitting with pain and his vision was blurry, but the one thing he could remember through the red mist clouding over his thoughts was that he had to save Emilia. Something was dreadfully wrong, she was in danger from…something, and he had to find her.<p>

Rufus lifted his head and immediately regretted it. The world became even more of a blur than before, if that was even possible, and he suddenly had the distinct impression that he was spinning very quickly. He moaned feebly and set his head back down on the floor. He didn't know how long he lay like that before he heard a sound coming from nearby.

It was a distorted sound, or, more likely, his ears distorted the sound, but as it grew closer to him he tentatively identified it as footsteps. He opened his eyes and was glad to see that the world had stopped spinning for the moment, even if it wasn't really clear yet. The sound was coming from above his head; someone was approaching him. He tried to move his head slightly and was rewarded with a similar feeling to the first time, so he elected to remain still and let the person come into his line of sight. After a moment she did, and he squinted up at her, knowing that he should remember who this was.

"The little prince is awake then," she cooed in a dark, deep voice and then the memories were coming back to him.

Going to check on Emilia between royal duties. Seeing Emilia on her floor unconscious, unresponsive, her beautiful blond hair spreading over the floor. This woman standing over Emilia and smiling wickedly, holding what looked like a fragile glass ball in her hand. The woman looking at him with surprise and screaming in rage. Running for his sword, coming face to face with her in the throne room. The woman ranting at a small reflective circle which floated in the air before them. Trying to sneak around her while she was distracted. Then…nothing.

The woman smiled and Rufus shivered, knowing by instinct that her smile was something to be avoided. He tried to put on an unimpressed face, like his father would have, but it was hard to do when you were at every disadvantage possible. He figured it came out more as mildly uncomfortable, which was great given that he was significantly more that mildly uncomfortable. Then the woman bent down and all effort as bravado ceased. She was getting way too close and he had nothing to ward her off with!

"Feeling a little under the weather, are we?" the woman said, now sitting beside him, her face leaning over him.

Rufus tried to move but found that the red mist clouded his vision and head, and he fell back to the floor. For a moment he thought he'd pass out again, but then he felt her finger tracing up his jawline and he instinctively jerked away. A menacing chuckle was her only reply, besides taking hold of his face in her hand and turning it back towards her. He tried to struggle, feebly, but he could barely move, let alone break this woman's grip. She had stronger hands than one of the "pub thugs" that frequently visited the castle.

"I could kill you right now," she stated smoothly, as if that was something you said every day, "It would be simple. I'd just take your neck in my hand like this…"

As she said this, she wrapped her hand around his throat, bracing her thumb and forefinger against his jaw. Rufus tried to pull away and made a small, strangled, frustrated sound when he saw the red mist again. Breathing was difficult and his head began to swimm even more. There had to be some way to escape, she couldn't just kill him like this, on the floor of his own throne room. She wouldn't kill him on this floor, he had to find a way out! He couldn't die because the love of his life was somewhere in this castle, possibly hurt and definitely in danger! His people were relying on him too, as their current ruler and future king! He couldn't let them down! And Rhonwen, his twin sister, who he had always protected! She was out there somewhere and she'd need his help too! He had to live because he had to protect them! But Rufus' body didn't respond to his mind's urgency and he hoped with all he had in him that one of the guards had found Emilia and that she at least was safe.

"…then I'd just turn my hand suddenly enough and you would cease to be," the woman's voice chimed on after she watched him struggle for a few moments, "Or I could just leave my hand where it is and wait until you strangle to death. Or even press harder against your neck here…"

At this she pressed lightly on his windpipe with her thumb and it became even harder to breathe. Black started to mix with the red mist, and Rufus struggled, desperate to escape, to remain conscious.

"…until I crush your windpipe," she finished, letting up on the pressure with her thumb as she said it.

Rufus took a few frantic breaths and coughed, instantly seeing bright crimson red as the cough forced him to move more than he should.

"But there would be no point in that," he heard her say as he drifted back into unconsciousness.

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><p>Rhonwen was having a hard day. First Circe, then trying to tell the others, and now Triton in all his minor sea god glory was springing out of the ocean surface and Melody was running to him to embrace him, splashing through the water. What was she supposed to do now? It was hard enough explaining this mess to her party, mostly made up of close friends and the others at least well known annoyances. How was she supposed to explain all this to King Triton? Correction, how was she even supposed to speak to King Triton? Emile looked like he was scared of that man, and for good reason.<p>

Rhonwen just stared as the pillar of water shortened until Triton looked like he was standing in the water. Melody reached him and threw her arms around his neck. Rhonwen started to step closer to them when she saw the naturally stormy and grave face lighten with a fatherly smile. At least he didn't look like he was in a smiting mood at the moment. _Of course that will probably change in a couple minutes, when he finds out why we're here_, she thought, pressing her hand into her hair again.

"Grandfather!" Melody sang out joyously as Triton spun her in the air like a child.

"My Melody," Triton's booming voice returned, "I was not expecting a visit from you, young one."

At this Triton put her down and fixed her with a stern eye, all authority again.

"Your mother sent word that you had run away," he said, as Melody's eyes widened, "I take it that you have spoken to her? For it has been weeks since I received that message."

Melody did not even hesitate to speak, which was impressive even if the conversation had been about a more pleasant topic. Rhonwen would have been hesitant to bring up her favorite topic for afternoon tea.

"No, Grandfather, I have not had the chance," she responded, her face becoming serious, "I did leave without Mother's knowledge, and I'm sorry that I had to do that, but I'd do it again. This was something much too important for both our kingdoms, as well as those of my friends here with me, for me to hold back."

Triton raised an eyebrow at her, considering. She did not speak again, just fixed him with a determined look and refused to break eye contact. At last, after staring at his granddaughter for several minutes, Triton seemed to relent. He sighed and spoke first.

"What could possibly have been so urgent that you had to leave without telling your mother?" he asked.

"Well, it's a long story," Melody began, and seemed ready to continue, but Rhonwen interrupted.

"We came all this way to stop a witch from causing any more harm to our families," Rhonwen said, stepping forward to face Triton.

"And who is this young girl who interrupts and speaks out of turn?" Triton said, looking and sounding stern.

Rhonwen's eyes widened and she halted in her steps. Anyone would be frozen by sternness on that ancient, stormy face. Or, perhaps not. Melody crossed her arms and sighed dramatically, drawing the stern face to herself instead.

"Grandfather, she is my friend," Melody said, before he could say a word, "And she is very important to our group. We literally would not have survived this long without her healing. Besides that, she and Emile led us through the worst situations to come here, so please don't…"

"What kind of situations?" Triton said, crossing his own arms to match Melody's posture.

"Now look at who's interrupting?" Melody said, smirking slightly and earning a disapproving sigh from her grandfather before continuing, "All sorts of situations. And, like I was saying, without her we'd certainly have more to worry about that your grumpy expressions. I was wounded, and so were a few others in our group! Please, don't talk to her like she's just some commoner!"

"Wounded?" Triton said, his eyes widening, "Wounded?! Who would dare to injure a princess of both the land and sea?!"

At this, despite the anger his voice displayed, Triton reached out towards Melody, taking her shoulders gingerly as if afraid he might hurt her, his eyes scanning her for any injuries.

"Uh, sir?" Emile said, stepping forward cautiously, "That was more my fault that anyone else's. I…"

Rhonwen started to walk towards Emile when she saw him freeze, the same expression on his face as when he first stepped into the view of the group in the library. Triton had turned to him when he spoke and seen him for the first time and his eyes had widened. She reached him just as Triton did what none of them would have expected from him. His stern face altered slightly upon seeing Emile, not with fear or loathing, but with pitying amusement. A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he spoke to Emile in a fatherly tone, like he had just fallen off his first horse.

"Boy," he said, shaking his head slightly, "What did you _do_?"

Emile looked confused but Rhonwen knew how to answer this one, so she spoke for him.

"He did nothing," she said, unconsciously stepping in front of Emile, "His father was cursed as he is, and he inherited it from him."

"Hmm," replied Triton thoughtfully, the smile not moving, "That is unusual for her. Circe will curse any man, for any offence, but he has to do something to her first. Even if it is idiotically small, there has to be some reason for her to curse. I've never known her to be one for hereditary spells."

"You recognized her work then?" Emile said, his ears pricking up.

"Indeed, though it is highly unusual as I said," Triton said thoughtfully in return, "She usually changes a man into the one animal he most resembled at the time he offended her. It seems she couldn't make up her mind as to what animal to change your father into."

"Circe didn't do this," Rhonwen burst into the conversation.

And there it was. The news was well and truly broken. Everyone stopped talking and turned to stare at her, confused. She felt Emile's gaze, his blue eyes searching her face, but she kept her eyes trained on Triton, because of all of them he was the one she most needed to convince.

"It wasn't Circe," she said again, trying to gather her thoughts into an understandable form, "It was her daughter, Aega."

This was also met with silence, but of a different sort. This silence, instead of being caused by herself, was caused by the sickened expression that came to Triton's face when he heard that name. The sea around him began to churn and lift, so that the water level rose. Rhonwen stood her ground as the water came to her waist, even as some of the others moved backwards from it. She heard Emile take a few steps forward, so that he was directly behind her, and was silently grateful for his support. Triton moved forward in the water easily, as if he was walking, and came to a tread directly in front of Rhonwen, towering over her. His eyes were searching when he next spoke.

"How do you know of that name?" he asked.

"Circe told it to me," she replied quietly, "She gave us, this group, her permission."

Triton's eyes widened and the water shook with a few small waves that emanated directly from him, as if recoiling from whatever powerful reaction its master was doing so well to hide. Rhonwen didn't break the eye contact she had with him, following Melody's example, though the temptation was sore. Never had she seen such searching and such potential power in a gaze as she did in those sea green eyes. But, finally, Triton broke the silence.

"What has she done?" he said, his voice like a small wave washing over the shore just before the crash of a large wave, deceptive in its quiet.

"She's cursed all the royal families," Rhonwen said seriously, trying not to shy away from the clearly upset immortal being before her, "Probably including Melody's family. I saw her say it herself through this."

At that Rhonwen brought up the magic mirror and Triton nodded, as if such things were commonplace.

"And what would break this curse?" Triton said, his voice now sounding as old as the sea itself.

"Only Aega's death," Rhonwen said quietly, looking away at last.

Triton's eyes turned upwards, and then he looked down to the sea, which writhed and churned around him, threatening to knock Rhonwen off her feet. Rhonwen did her best to balance, not daring to move away from him now, when he seemed to understand. She almost fell once, only to have Emile's hand brace her and set her back to rights.

"She will finally have her way then," he murmured, sounding as if he didn't intend for anyone to hear what he said. Then he looked up, meeting Emile's eye, "She cursed you to be as you are, did she?"

Emile looked confused, and glanced at Rhonwen. Triton raised his eyebrows and looked back down to the girl standing before him.

"How long have you had the knowledge which you have just demonstrated, child?" he asked gently.

"Only for a little while, since this morning," replied Rhonwen, feeling the treacherous stinging at the back of her throat that signified more tears were about to begin as she spoke of the terrible knowledge again with someone who clearly understood it, "I didn't have the chance to tell everyone before you arrived."

Triton nodded, the turned away from Rhonwen, gliding out a small way into the sea. Then he turned back, facing the party.

"I know the name which this young lady speaks," he said, sounding grand and ancient, yet vibrant and captivating, the sea foaming around him regally, "And the spell which I see is much more believable of her than it is of Circe. Granted, Circe is not without blame in this, and she will certainly receive my opinion of her giving this mission to my granddaughter and her companions. However, she is not the one to blame, and you shall have to seek out the witch, Aega, to settle the curse which now lies on all of your relatives. That my daughter is included in this, who has left my protection and therefore can be affected by surface magic, is not excusable. And you, dear children, are now the only living beings who can put an end to her. I will assist you in any way I can. Have you any idea where she is?"

Triton looked to Rhonwen with his last statement and Rhonwen nodded.

"She is in my home," she said, meeting his eyes with a pleading look, "In my family's castle on the island of Corona, the capital of Ringdorn."

Triton nodded and lifted his right hand, pulling the trident up beside him so that it was lifted completely from the water.

"I shall see you to this island," he said, sending a wave into the ocean when he touched the surface of the water again with his trident.

Almost immediately the wave flew up around them and the entire party was covered in a shroud of water. Rhonwen saw it coming and turned to brace against Emile, afraid that her hair would pull her under if the wave receded too quickly. She heard some screams coming from their party, surprise and outright terror among them, and braced herself, grabbing the fur on Emile's chest and holding it tightly. She felt Emile's hand grab her shoulders as the wave crashed over them, but something else touched her too. She felt a tingle and knew, suddenly, that there was some kind of magic in that wave.

When the wave fell and receded, the magic became readily apparent, as everything around her had changed. Everything, she noted, besides herself and Emile. She still stood in the water, soaking wet but otherwise no different than she had been before the wave. And Emile was still there, holding her up, his fur dripping wet from head to foot. But Rhonwen gaped at the differences all around her. Then her mouth slowly turned up into a shocked smile. Triton was certainly good to his word.

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><p><strong>Hey, by the way, let me know what you think of Triton! I want to know if I got the characterisation right, as it's been a long time since I've seen the Little Mermaid and most of the youtube clips I could fond of him were fandubs. Thanks!<strong>


	31. Chapter 31

**Hey guys! New chapter, new day, new headache as I realise I should be working on homework. But, no matter, let my pain be your pleasure! And please leave me your opinion on the cover picture matter, I got no new suggestions with the last chapter. Ok, on to the show!**

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><p>The Genie was frantic. His best pal, Al, was down for the count in an unusually deep slumber along with the rest of the royals, as he discovered when the servants collected in the castle from all the kingdoms proceeded to go crazy. And, to make matters worse, no magic that the Genie had tried could wake the enchanted royalty. That meant they were staying asleep for a while which, in addition to being a low blow to anyone who cared about them, could cause some interesting political situations. And did he mention that the servants were going nuts?!<p>

The English-butler-who-must-have-a-name-but-now-was-definately-not-the-time-for-intros was running around, muttering ohmygoodnessohmygoodness, and Mrs. Pots (such a nice lady, how could Genie not know her name?) was ordering around the maids, sending various things to different rooms which were either ordered or she suspected were needed. And the servants from the other households, well. From the kingdom with that really pale faced, high pitched, painfully ladylike queen were saying something about another poisoned apple. The servants from the Sun Kingdom were going on and on about a sleeping spell, and how the queen would surely sleep for eternity this time since the king slept beside her under the same spell. There was a crustacean running around the floor in circles around the English guy's feet, waving its little claws around in the air and looking like a miniature copy of the man who was scarcely keeping from stepping on him. It was complete and utter chaos.

And to make matters worse, Genie had now encountered a first for his personal record. He had absolutely no idea what to do. He tried everything he knew, but this was a spell that was idiotically finicky, and he'd seen plenty of those (and laid a couple back in the dark ages in his youth, but who was counting). There was no way that any other magic could undo the spell. Powerful Genie immortal magic, or crummy roadside hag magic, it made no difference. All that could break the spell was the original conditions of the spell being met. Genie chastised himself inwardly, watching from the top of the stairs as the English guy did, in fact, step on the crab, which pinched him instinctively and began running again. This spell was rookie stuff, the kind he'd been able to lay with any sense self-respect when he was only a hundred years old. There shouldn't be this much trouble in breaking it!

Just when all hope was seemed loss, nothing happened. Well, nothing that the others in the room saw anyway. The only physical difference to be spotted was the golden sunshine beaming through the windows at them all. But Genie could sense the magic and the person who must be responsible, and so he placed a gentle time freezing spell on the castle so he could confront the newcomer. Because, if it was who he thought it was, she had a lot of explaining to do.

"Nice to see you again, Genie," Circe said, appearing before him and giving him a mock salute upon mentioning his title, "I had heard that you found yourself free. How pleasant for you."

"It's definitely better than being forced to grant wishes night and day," Genie said cordially, then he put his fists on his waist, "Whatcha doin' here, Cirs? Up to some trouble again? Because if this was you, we need to have ourselves a serious conversation about territory. Like Al, the guy up in that room, and his entire family? My turf, my magic, my ground, you not allowed. Comprende?"

Circe laughed deeply and Genie rolled his eyes. The intimidating laugh was such a noob thing to try on another immortal. She was really showing her age today, wasn't she?

"Spill," Genie said flatly, raising and eyebrow at her.

She gave him a rather sour smile and then proceeded to do just that.

"I didn't do it," she said, smiling, "But I know how you can fix it."

"If you didn't play this, how do you know the conditions?" Genie asked, his face screaming unbelieving.

"I know the person who did it quite well," she said, her smile growing colder at Genie's indifferent expression, "I know the conditions because she told them to me. But I know a powerful magic that can cure all those royals here, it you aid it a little bit."

"That sounds nice," Genie said, his expression unchanged, "Did your daddy decide to make a timely visit?"

"No," Circe said, finally losing the façade and showing her irritation towards the ancient (even more than she was) blue creature, "But there is a mortal Sun Child readily available. All I have to do is tell you where to find her."

Genie's eyes widened. A Sun Child? But the last Sun Child was over a thousand years ago, and after the reaming the sung god had gotten from his wife, Genie thought that one would have been the last.

"Where?" Genie said, crossing his arms across his chest.

"In a little inn, just outside of Osimandias," the woman replied, smiling again now that she thought she had some power, "I could take us both there if you like."

"Ok," Genie said, still eyeing Circe like she was a viper, "But if there's any funny business, you know I can embarass you to death like that time when you were trying to curse my master three hundred years ago and you ended up..."

"Of course, mighty Genie," Circe interrupted sarcastically.

"And I'll be the one taking us there, kid," he continued, "Forgive me my lack of trust."

Genie removed his time spell and the two teleported away, unnoticed by the mayhem around them.

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><p>Rapunzel was nervous, but was certain that her plan would work. She and the servants had hastily carried the whole party into one room after the witch left, as Rapunzel quickly interpreted her riddle. It wasn't that difficult, after all. There was only one power that was uniquely hers, and that was her tears. Her daughter never had the need to try her tears for healing; nothing had ever happened in her presence that the hair was less likely to heal. So, if Rapunzel had interpreted correctly, the witch had meant for her to use her tears to heal the others of this strange enchantment. Rapunzel wasn't sure it would work; the tears were only effective in healing the recently dead in the past. But she was desperate, and it wasn't as if her tears were an irreplaceable resource. In fact, she would probably be able to replenish her supply very quickly if this did not work.<p>

Resolutely she banished that thought and sent one glance to the two servants, who were now standing as far away as they could. Whether they were just being considerate or they were scared by the magic Rapunzel neither knew nor cared. She began with those people they had been forced to lay on the floor after they had run out of room on the small bed. She dropped one tear onto the foreheads of Justinian and Philip, and then moved towards the bed. Belle lay on the far right, beside Vincent. Eugene was on the left. Rapunzel put a drop onto Belle's forehead and Vincent's. Her hand shook as she held the small bottle over Eugene's head, memories flooding her mind unbidden. Eugene lying in her arms, the feeling of warmth leaving his body as he quickly bled out. His final, loving words to her. The moment when his eyes closed, right before his body went limp as his muscles dropped their unconscious strain to keep living. Holding him in her arms, knowing that she would never see his smile, hear his voice making fun of her, feel his warmth as she held him, ever again. A fresh tear made its way down her face as she forced herself to release the tear from the vial, seeing it touch his skin. _Please work this time_, she begged the magic with everything in her, _I can't lose him again._

She walked back to the center of the room and braced herself, ready to start singing the song. For even singing the song was difficult now, with all the painful memories it brought. She literally lost everything the day Eugene died. She'd lost her illusions about the life she'd lived, suddenly knowing that she was the lost princess and had been kidnapped by the only person she'd ever trusted. Then she'd lost her hair, when Eugene refused to let her give up her life for him and chose to give his own instead. She lost the only mother she'd ever known then, who she still loved despite the anger she now felt for her. And then she lost the only man she'd ever loved because he loved her too much to let her throw herself away. She'd started to sing the song then, not because she thought that it would work because she knew her hair had been lost, but because it was an instinctive reaction to seeing her world fall apart in the space of ten minutes. How much she would have liked to "change the fates' design" and "save what had been lost" at that moment. Even teaching her daughter the song had been painful, but not nearly like this because she was young and alive and shining with new hope. Seeing her husband, her friends this way brought back that first day, and that first tear.

She braced herself, and opened her mouth to sing. But the words never left her mouth, as suddenly and very loudly someone else appeared in the room. She started and jumped back at the explosive sound it made, having had just about enough of people just randomly appearing in front of her. But at the same time, she recognized the Genie that had come with the King of Agrabah. She stepped forward to greet him, but then saw that he was not alone. Beside him was the witch.

"What are you doing here?" she said, trying to remain quiet despite the urge to scream in frustration.

"You gotta help me!" the Genie answered, floating forward swiftly until he was closer to Rapunzel, "My buddy, Al, and the rest of the royals are under some sort of curse that I can't lift, one of those amateur conditional kinds of things, and Cirs over there said that you could fix this somehow and so you have to come back with me to the…oh no, it got the rest of you guys too!"

Genie looked around the room towards the end of the statement and noticed the other royals. He shook his head sadly and continued to speak, not letting Rapunzel get a word in edgewise.

"This is exactly how the others are," he said, crossing his arms unhappily, "But don't worry, we can cure these ones when we get back too. I'll teleport them with us and we'll be there in seconds!"

"Wait, wait," Rapunzel said, still trying to process the large load of information, "You'll teleport us back to the castle, all of us?"

"Yes, that's what I meant when I said I'll teleport us all back," the Genie said, still sounding frantic despite his sarcasm.

Rapunzel glared at the witch, but she knew this was the best thing that could have happened. If she could get to all the royals, she could cure them all and they could help their children. And in addition to that, they'd arrived before she sang the song, so she would only have to sing it once. Deciding, she turned to the Genie.

"Then what are we waiting for?" she asked plainly.

"Just that!" the Genie replied, and he snapped his fingers.

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><p>Emile stared around himself, dumbstruck by what he saw. He had the suspicion that the wave was magic when all his fur stood on end underwater, but this was definitely not what he had expected. Everything, no everyone around him beside Rhonwen, who still stood in front of him, was changed.<p>

The first person he saw was Augustine, still sitting on the rock where he had been before the wave, but now altered in a surprising way. He was no longer wearing a shirt, for one, or any clothes that Emile could see. And two, he now had a fish tail, the same light purple/blue color of his eyes, that started at his waist. He was staring down at himself in shock. The same held true for Red, whose tail was blue like her eyes with red/orange fins to match her hair. Luckily, though, she was wearing some small semblance of clothing; she wore two large shells over her…well, two large shells tired together with a cord that went around her back. Indignation and awe made a queer combination for her facial expression, but as this was Red she wore it with perfect comfort, graceful or not. Emile looked towards the brothers and could hardly stifle the laugh that came as his reaction to their predicament. Most of the brothers were trying to pull themselves away from the water with their hands, some were screaming, having just noticed the fish tails, but Akram and Ahmed sat side by side, still as humanly possible. Their tails, like the rest of their kin, were the colors that the feathers on their turbans had been, and so Akram's was red and Ahmed's dark blue. Akram was looking at his tail in fascination, one hand slowly moving to try touching the scales. Ahmed, in contrast, seemed frozen in fear, and didn't even seem to blink as he stared at the world in front of him. Edward and Dianna were further up the shore, currently being washed back down with the wave and none too happy about it. Edward was pounding his blue tail against the water, holding Dianna close. She too was wearing one of the shell contraptions but did not even seem to notice in her terror, her pale pink tail splashing frantically. The two hit the main body of water and Edward held Dianna closer yet, asking is she was alright. Ok, that accounted for most of them, but where was Melody?

A laugh of pure and unadulterated joy answered his unspoken question. He looked toward the source of the sound and couldn't keep the smile from his face at what he saw. Melody was flying! Well, not really flying so much as jumping from the surface of the water like a dolphin; her wet black hair flew about her like a curtain of dark sea weed. Her new tail was dark pink, almost red, and the shells she wore were light purple. Everything about her said free and wild creature, and suddenly Emile realized that this could not be the first time she had been this way. She was far too at home jumping and swimming across the sea's surface. No, she had been down this path before, which would be a good thing as they would need her to help the others learn to use this new anatomy.

Seeming to read his mind, Melody looked over to the shore and swam swiftly up to Akram, spreading two small waves behind her as she swiftly glided. She came to a stop beside Akram, grabbing his hands and making as if to pull him back with her into the water, laughing as she did. Akram, however, looked panicked and pulled away from her, inching up the shore a little bit. As if snapped out of a trance, Ahmed came to life and, to Emile's surprised, began to push Akram further up the shore protectively, pressing him upwards while splashing his tail in the water.

"What are you, crazy?" he said, turning to Melody fiercely and shielding his brother as he did so, "Are you trying to kill him? He can't swim, he'd drown!"

Melody's eye widened, but then she smiled and pulled herself up a little.

"No need to worry about that, Ahmed," she said curtly, holding her hand out to Akram again as if waiting for him to take it, "We're mer-folk now. We can breathe the water as easily as the air, so you don't need to worry that he'll drown. And, as for the swimming problem, I can teach you Akram."

She locked eyes with Akram as she said this and he glanced to his brother, who was still doing his best to keep him out of the water. Then he looked back to Melody. Seeming to come to a decision, he pulled his shoulders out of Ahmed's hands and grabbed the hand Melody reached out to him. She smiled, and with no more hesitation pulled him under. Ahmed let out a panicked yell, looked around him for a minute, and then, with a resolute facial expression, jumped in after him. Emile blinked several times at this unexpected display, and then looked down to Rhonwen, who had been standing in front of him and looking around much as he was. She looked up to him, the same question in her eyes as was in his. Why were they not transformed as the others were? Why did they not have tails? Well, he had a tail, but fish tails?

Triton was still treading in exactly the same place he had been before the wave, as if the wave did not affect him at all. Which, of course it didn't, he was the sea god and all that, but it was still impressive to see him there, as seemingly immovable as a statue. He made his way through the water, trying to get closer to the undersea king to see if he could answer this question. But, as he did so, Triton turned to him and frowned.

"Hmm," he said, looking from him to Rhonwen and back, "Just as I had suspected. Both of you are already effected by powerful magic spells which are interfering with this rather minor one."

"Minor?!" Red exclaimed from her seat by the shore, looking up at him with fury, "I have a tail pal! And where, pray tell, did my dress go?!"

Triton looked over at her in an unamused sort of was, like someone looking at a bothersome cat, and explained.

"When I remove the spell you will be returned to exactly as you were before you were changed," he replied, "I laid this spell so that you could travel more quickly through the water, with the aid of the current I would redirect for you. Had all of you been able to be changed, you could have been there in two hours. However, as some will have to ride above instead of in the water, your progress will be slowed to a journey of one day."

"Wait," Rhonwen said, pushing out from behind him, "One day? You have a boat that will take us to the island in one day?"

At this Triton actually smiled.

"You insult me Sun Child," he said, sounding almost fond, "You will ride in no boat, not a lady of your standing. No, the two of you shall have my chariot, pulled by the fastest seahorses."

At this, as if providing evidence of its master's claim, a huge conch shell erupted from the surface of the sea further out from them in the deeper water, gleaming and surreal. Six giant seahorses pulled the shell, looking dignified and stately at the front of the grand vessel. Emile couldn't help his jaw dropping in amazement. They were going to ride in that?

Just then another mysterious creature burst forth from the sea surface and Emile jumped, startled by the splash of water. Melody and Akram were now treading beside him, both grinning from ear to ear, although Akram still gripped Melody's arm tightly.

"Rhoni! Emile!" she said, suddenly looking confused, "You don't have any tails!"

"That's probably for the best," Akram said, sounding sarcastic and smiling despite the slight quiver in his voice, "I don't think we really wanted to add another animal feature to Emile's menagerie."

Unbidden, the thought of how he would look with a fish tail came to mind and Emile made a face.

"Thank you, Akram, for those delightful mental images," he replied dryly, and Melody elbowed Akram's arm.

"My pleasure," he said, not sounding hurt at all by the elbow, "Hey, do you think we should go look for Ahmed? He can swim a little, much better than me for sure, but I don't know where he could have…"

At that, his question became moot, as Ahmed came flying out of the water a few feet away from them, smiling broadly and screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Woo-Hoo!" he yelled, as he began his decent back towards the water, and Melody smiled at Akram.

"I think he's doing fine," she said, pulling him along with her, "I just wonder how he knew how to swim and you didn't."

"I didn't like the physical kind of stuff as a kid, that's all," he said, sounding like this was a touchy spot, "The water didn't agree with my books."

Melody just smiled and pulled them both back under without warning again, leaving nothing more than a splash and Akram's flailing tail in their wake. Ahmed burst forward again, this time splashing rapidly towards the shore.

"Guys!" he said, yelling to his brothers who were still trying to pull themselves away on the wet sand, "You gotta try this! I can breathe underwater! I'm invincible, HaHa!"

And at that he jumped backward into the water, splashing down and diving as he did. The others looked amongst each other and Akif started to inch his way forward, following Ahmed as usual. The others followed suit and soon they were tentatively getting into the water and swimming around with growing joy. Emile, looked to where Edward and Dianna had washed out to the water and found them treading there, kissing profusely. He rolled his eyes, hardly surprised, and looked for Red and Augustine. Augustine had inched his way down off the rock into the water and looked like he was testing his new tail. Red still sat in the water where she was, her tail bent up close to her chest and her arms crossed over the shells, looking uncomfortable. Emile could hardly blame her. But he could see that he wouldn't need to go and talk to her, since Augustine said something about her not being the only one missing her clothing and she spat back a hasty reply, uncurling slightly to turn towards him. He would get her arguing and the two would be in the water in no time at all.

Feeling suddenly confident, Emile looked over to Rhonwen and smiled. She was soaking wet from head to foot, just as he was, so they wouldn't have to worry about the short swim to the shell.

"Shall we get going, then?" he said, holding his hand out to her.

She went from startled to worry before she replied to him.

"Emile," she said softly, chewing her lip, "My hair. I can't swim out there. It would pull me under."

"Don't worry," he said, walking to her and taking her hand in his, "I'll make sure you don't sink."

She looked reassured, and they were about to set off when Triton interrupted.

"No need to worry yourselves about the swim," he said shortly, raising his trident.

As he did this, a pillar of water started to rise under himself and Rhonwen, and he grabbed her, holding her to his chest for balance them both. He was suddenly glad of his wet fur, because he was sure every strand would have been standing on end when Rhonwen's little hands gripped his chest and she pressed her head against him. He held them both steady as they rose and moved, the water only semi-solid under his feet. The cylinder then moved towards the shell and lowered by it, allowing them to step off almost gracefully. Then Triton turned to the others who were still on the shore and spoke in a loud voice, like a storm at sea.

"We leave for the island," he said.

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><p><strong>I know this one's a little long, couldn't be helped with all that ground to cover. And, of course, everyone had their own ideas about how they should react and they simply had to be shown! Sometimes I feel like I'm running a daycare in my brain, with all the characters milling around in there. Leave me a review and tell me what you thought of this latest addition, and I'll give out spoilers for the next chapter as always! K, Bye!<strong>


	32. Chapter 32

**Lots of drama in this chapter, hope you enjoy that. This one turned out a little long, again, but after making you wait I figure I owe you a little more than the usual anyway. So here it is, spoilers and cookies to reviewers! Thanks for reading!**

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><p>Rapunzel was feeling more and more optimistic about the chances of her tears working now that the Genie had arrived. He had simply snapped his fingers and they were back at the castle, a six day journey at the fastest possible pace on horseback. Not to mention, everything she wanted done was done in a heartbeat. The royals were all brought to the main sitting room and set somewhere comfortable, with chairs popping up randomly in a cloud of blue smoke whenever they ran out. She didn't even think she had to give the orders to the Genie verbally; once she had simply thought about being thirsty and a glass of sweetened ice tea with lemon (her favorite) had appeared on the table beside her.<p>

Now, with every preparation made in under an hour, Rapunzel walked from royal to royal, dropping one tear onto the head of each. She kissed Eugene's forehead and dropped another tear on it, just to be safe, then took the very comfortable chair the Genie had brought into existence for her at the center of the room. Genie was twiddling his fingers and looking nervous, but gave her the thumbs up when she looked his way. She smiled back, swallowing her jitters, and began to sing.

_Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine. Make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine! Heal what has been hurt, change the fates' design. Save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine! What once was mine!_

Even before the song ended, a smile broke out on Rapunzel's face. The tears had begun to glow and sink into the royals' foreheads, and soon a multitude of brilliantly glowing sun lilies blossomed into the air in extravagantly beautiful patterns of life. Rapunzel would never grow used to how beautiful those healing flowers were, the sign of her tears at work. And this was a sight to behold, even more than the other healings she had performed. She had never healed this many people at once before; there had only ever been the one lily and its branches. Now there were more than a dozen and the room took on the appearance of a great glowing garden, springing and moving with the supernatural blooms.

By the time the song was finished, the royals were waking. Rapunzel turned eagerly to Eugene to see him blinking drowsily and could not contain her excitement. She squeaked eagerly and ran over to him, throwing her arms around his neck.

"Eugene!" she squealed as she made contact, knocking the air from his lungs, "You're ok! I was so worried when I found you, and you were asleep and you wouldn't wake up again, and there was this spell and the Genie brought us all back here and…Eugene!"

Eugene had begun to laugh, and Rapunzel didn't think she had ever heard such a wonderful sound in all her life. But she scolded him playfully, and he laughed all the more.

"I'm sorry, Goldie," he said, still wheezing with merriment, "I haven't seen you like this in years!"

Rapunzel smiled, feeling a bit bashful. She hadn't felt this giddy in years, but she hadn't had this good a reason. Eugene was safe, and that was…great but not all that mattered. Her face and her good mood simultaneously fell as she remembered her children, somewhere out there in untold danger.

"Eugene," she said, meeting his eyes seriously, "We have to help the children."

Eugene took notice of the sudden change in her demeanor and his changed to match it. He nodded quietly and took her shoulders comfortingly.

"We will," he said simply, with a deadly serious tone that never really did or would fit him, "What's happened?"

Rapunzel simply nodded to him, telling him with her eyes to follow her lead. Then she stood and walked towards the center of the room again, pulling him behind her as she was unwilling to release his wrist just yet. When she reached it, she turned to the other royals and cleared her throat, drawing their confused gazes to her.

"I have just cured us all of a spell," she said simply as Eugene took his position just behind her, "This spell was laid by the witch that our children have gone to fight."

A few nervous rumors and questions arose when she said this, and she waved her hand diplomatically to silence them.

"From what information I have been able to gather, this spell did not affect the children," she continued, "But that could be even more ominous than if it had. That means the witch is trying to draw them to her, begin a battle that the children will surely lose."

She paused a moment to let the small outburst of concern and fear end on its own time, glad she was at least being taken seriously.

"They need our help if they are to survive, and we have to get to them fast," she said, turning to the Genie, "You have helped us greatly and I am thankful to you. You have to get us to the children now."

The Genie smiled in response to her thanks, but looked slightly unsure when she mentioned travel.

"Of course I'll take you wherever you want me to," he said, sounding a little uncomfortable, "Where is it that you would like me to take you?"

"To the children," Queen Ella said, looking over at him strangely.

"Ah, yes, that was clear," the Genie replied, looking all the more uncomfortable, "And where is that, exactly?"

Then the problem became clear. They couldn't tell the Genie where to take them because they didn't know themselves. Rapunzel sighed in a frustrated way, pulling a strand of her hair around her shoulder from her bedraggled braid and playing with in nervously.

"Why can't you just take us to the children?" King Eric said, looking plenty frustrated himself, "I thought you were an all-powerful magic being or something like that!"

"All powerful doesn't mean all knowing, bub!" the Genie replied, putting his hands to his hips, "Besides that, I'm far from all powerful. Just more powerful than most anyone you'll ever meet."

"This isn't going to help us find our children," King Vincent said, "We need to think, form some kind of plan."

"For all the good that did us last time," Queen Nancy replied.

Rapunzel focused on her own thoughts, pressing her fingers to her temples and drowning out the argument around her even as Eugene joined in the chaos. There had to be some way of knowing where they were. Then a memory struck her and she called out to the Genie in a loud voice, silencing the argument.

"Genie, where is the witch?" Rapunzel asked.

"Sunny, I think you're missing the point I was just making…"

"No, not that witch," Rapunzel cut him off, running over to him, "The one that brought you to me."

"Cirs?" Genie said, scratching his head, "I'll bet she just went back to her island. I sure wasn't bringing that annoying little chicklet back with us when I didn't need her anymore."

"You have to take us there," Rapunzel said, "She knows where the children are."

At this the Genie held up his fingers, muttering something about someone finally getting the clear requests rule. But before he could snap them, the light shone bright through the stained glass windows, and in the center of the room where Rapunzel had just been standing was Circe in a flowing, gleaming golden and green dress. She looked amazing and terrifying, the dress reaching the ground but no more modest than any of the other clothing that Rapunzel had seen her in, as it exposed a dangerously large amount of her back and cleavage, with her hair braided up to accentuate her exposed golden skin. She laughed and most everyone in the room froze instinctively, accept the Genie who crossed his arms and rolled his eyes.

"No need to trouble yourselves about the journey," Circe said, smiling toward Rapunzel mock-sweetly, "I wouldn't dream of making you travel all that way just to turn you away again."

Vincent shook himself at this and charged forward, screaming something about the witch getting what was coming to her. Circe turned and lifted her hand lazily just as he drew close to her, lifting his feet from the ground with a glowing golden energy. She smiled up at him as he struggled, tilting her head to the side in a flirtatious way.

"You really think I look that young?" she said, turning and preening her exposed figure, "You flatter me, but I believe you mistake me for my daughter. She is the one who laid both curses on your family, and the curse on the royals that the Sun Child over there just broke. By the way, I brought her back her to do that, so you're welcome."

Vincent continued to struggle and she laughed, shaking her head.

"No, you're not coming down until you learn better manners," she said, then smiled wickedly, "Or worse ones."

"Cirs, quit being such a massive pain in my blue behind and have it out already!" called out the Genie, and not a moment too soon as Rapunzel could see Belle gathering herself to try her own run at the witch, "What are you doing here now?"

"I'm just here to save everybody time," she said, giving him an angelic smile.

Genie responded only by making a gaging sound and pointing his thumb into his mouth, and Circe sighed melodramatically, her smile becoming deadpan.

"I was watching when you said you were going to come to me for the children's location, but I simply can't give you that," she said, throwing Vincent towards Belle like a toy she'd grown bored with, "I sent them to kill…this other enchantress, and I won't have you spoiling their mission until I think they might fail. They haven't even tried yet, so how can I know how they'd do?"

Genie glared and Circe, then his eyes widened in understanding and he floated rapidly towards Circe, growing larger and darker as he did until her towered over the already impressively tall woman ominously. Rapunzel could swear it grew darker outside and midnight blue smoke began to swirl around the room as the Genie spoke, his tone quick and slicing quiet.

"Circe, Daughter of Helios, Daughter of the Oceanid Perse, Witch of the Island Aeaea and of the Animal Curse," he said, glowering down at her, "If you have done what I think you have done, then their failure should be you utmost fear. If any of those children come to harm on the mission you have so foolishly given them, you will answer personally to me. And I promise you, you'll only wish I turned you into a pig by the time I've finished with you."

Circe's eyes widened and her smile faltered at the sight of the Genie in such a state. Then she recovered her composure and smiled up at him challengingly.

"I am my father's favorite daughter," she said, stepping towards the Genie, "I fear no Genie, powerful or no. Just think of his reaction should he find anything happened to me."

"Not nearly as terrifying as my reaction will be, should anything happen to one of those kids," he said, but the smoke began to settle around them and he shrunk back down, still larger than Circe put small enough to glare directly into her eyes.

Circe returned this with a deeply unsettled smirk and just like that, in the blink of an eye, the Genie was left glaring at empty space.

* * *

><p>Half a day had passed and Rhonwen had been riding with Emile in the shell chariot, wringing her hair and trying to dry his fur the best they could. Triton had not lied when he said that this chariot was fast; Rhonwen had been glad that there was a back to the chariot when it first took off, and she and Emile would certainly have fallen off if there was not. It was still vertigo inducing to look over the sides of the thing at the water they were flying through, so the two had remained huddled together at the back of the craft, leaning against the back wall and glad that the seahorses were following the others so they didn't have to steer.<p>

Looking over at Emile, Rhonwen couldn't suppress the smile that came to her face at the state he was in. His fur was a mess, frankly put; tangled here, sticking up at odd angles there, and completely encrusted with sea salt. He had tried grooming it here and there, licking it in a very catlike fashion, but after a while he simply gave it up as a lost cause. And the unamused look he was currently directing towards her just made her smile even wider.

"Whose idea was it for me to get my fur wet again?" he asked in a mock-severe tone, raising an eyebrow at her.

"The wave's I believe," Rhonwen replied, giggling.

"It was yours before that, don't forget," he huffed, and she grinned.

"If it makes you feel any better, mine's probably just as bad right now," she said, leaning against him.

"Yours could never possibly look this bad," he said, lifting his arm around her.

She smiled at the snarky compliment and leaned into his casual embrace. Even through the sarcasm (or possibly because of it) Rhonwen felt very comforted by his presence, glad he was there as a sort of rock she could cling to. It was strange, really, but she had never dreamed that she could find someone this comforting. Her family was close, certainly, but Rhonwen felt like the satirical, quiet person beside her was more to her than any friend had been before. This was strange, because she had many friends that she had known her whole life, so they rightfully should be closer. She could hardly believe that she had met him only two months before; it felt like he had been there as long as her twin, as long as herself. Like another part of herself that she had never seen before, but always somewhat sensed. She had never felt this kind of depth, this kind of love...

Love. Wait, did she just think that? Yes, she did, she was certain of it. Love. Romance. Attraction. Draw. Beguilement. Oh. OH. Love? She was in love with Emile?! When did this happen?! She couldn't even pinpoint a time when this feeling started! Was it when she had spotted him in the vent before he met the others? Or that time when they were running and he was shot and her heart had broken for him? Or when he held her in his arms when she came back from Circe's island? She blinked a few times and adjusted herself against him, trying to process this new revelation. Could she really be in love with Emile? Like she just said, she had only met him two months ago, was that really long enough? But her parents had fallen in love over a period of two days, so why would two months be too short? Emile was her best friend, certainly. Was she confusing that feeling of camaraderie for more than it was? After all, it had never come up. And that sort of thing was supposed to be impossible to hide, wasn't it? Look at Edward and Dianna! They were in love, and she and Emile didn't have anything like that.

But did she really want anything like that? Edward and Dianna were sweet, certainly, but they were always singing to each other, making grand declarations of love, clinging to each other, kissing all the time…

Kissing. Rhonwen went a little rigid at the thought, her brow furrowing. Emile must have felt her tense because he looked down at her curiously. She smiled at him and forced herself to relax, hoping he wouldn't read her thoughts from her face. After a moment he looked away and Rhonwen forced herself to remain relaxed as she went back to her line of thought.

Did she want to kiss Emile? She looked up at his face carefully so as not to draw his attention and part of her still recoiled from the fangs on his lower jaw sticking out from under his upper lip. But the greater part of her reminded her that he was more than what she saw, more than the sticky, salty fur she felt as she leaned against him. And as she thought about this she leaned further against him, pressing her face to his barrel chest. She felt her head and shoulders as they lifted and lowered with each breath and heard his calm heartbeat, which sounded very human, like her own, despite his physical form. No, perhaps she wouldn't kiss him, not like Edward and Dianna did, because he couldn't really kiss like that anyway. But that didn't diminish the growing clarity that this feeling was more than she thought it had been. Because she wanted to kiss him. She wanted to give him that affection, because she loved him.

Now what was she supposed to do with this?! She closed her eyes and pressed her face to his chest, trying to think about all the love stories that she'd ever heard. What did a woman do when she realized she had fallen in love with a man? Her mother had barely gotten the chance to realize it before she was taken by Gothel and her father was stabbed, so that story did her no good. All the fairy tales had the man declaring his love for the woman, but she quickly eliminated this possibility. The restless feeling she got when she thought about waiting for him to say it made her feet twitch, especially when she thought about the fact that they were going into battle and this might be their last chance. Finally making up her mind, she decided on telling him herself, because this feeling was suddenly getting very oppressive and if she didn't let it out she feared she might explode.

"Emile?" she said, pushing herself up to meet his eyes.

"Yes?" he replied, helping her up by bracing her shoulder with his large hand.

There. He was looking into her eyes, she was looking into his, now all she had to do was just say it. I love you. Three words, and this pressure would be gone, this aching feeling would go away because it would be in the open. But looking into those deep blue eyes that she now realized she had always been fascinated by, a feeling she never thought she would feel at a time like this emerged. It was that same dreadful, cold, intense feeling that she'd had the day she'd heard Circe's story. One thought made its way through this feeling, simple but terrifying. _What if he doesn't love you?_

And then those soft, wise blue eyes that had comforted her from the moment she met him became the most terrifying eyes she had ever seen. What if he didn't feel anything for her? She would be telling him something so personal, so deep, and what if he rejected it? Then she'd seem like she was throwing herself at him, being too forward. He'd never be her best friend like he was now again, she'd have ruined all of that for a feeling that she had only just pinpointed in herself. Was there any way that she could know, any way that she could tell if he felt anything for her, before she laid her heart out in front of him like that? His eyes were questioning now, wondering what was taking her so long to say. She thought back, as quickly as she could, trying to remember if there was any evidence that he cared about her over their journey. But the cold feeling followed her mind wherever it went, disclaiming anything that could be evidence easily.

What about the time he sat next to her and they'd talked when all the other couples were talking? _He was probably just being friendly, nothing more._ Or when he had led her through the dark? _He'd have done that for anyone. _When they'd slept next to each other in the cave? _Circumstance, he could have just as easily been sleeping next to Ahmed._ When he'd held her, after she came back from seeing Circe? _She had hugged him. He was probably just trying to be comforting; he didn't mean anything by it. _

The more she thought about it, the more her heart fluttered and the harder those three words seemed to be to say. There was no way of knowing if he cared about her at all, besides just being her friend. And even that could be ruined if she said what she did not even dare to think now, lest he see it in her eyes. But there was that problem too; she had already started this, already had his attention. What was she supposed to do?

Then the cold feeling brought out her knowledge of politics and she inwardly cringed, hating herself already. She couldn't use her "fancy deception" (as her father called diplomacy) on Emile. She couldn't use a half truth or a deflection, not on the man she…felt so much for. But even as she fought herself, she heard herself thinking the thought that decided it all. _If you do it this way, then he'll reveal his feelings if he has any and you can reveal yours. No risk._ Formulating the statement quickly, she met his eyes again, inwardly cringing at the gentle concern she saw there. _Here it goes, then._

"I just wanted to say," she started, putting her hands on his left forearm, "That I've come to feel very close to you over this journey."

There, it was said. Now all she had to do was wait for him to respond, to say that he cared about her the same way and she could take the next step without fear.

But even as she saw this, she saw the reaction he had to her words and her thoughts all vanished with the wind. At first his eyes widened and his ears flicked forward, but then his ears immediately went back nervously and his wide eyes took on an almost frightened look. He started to say something, then hesitated, started again, and hesitated again. When he finally spoke, his words were deeply unsatisfactory.

"You're my best friend," he said, grabbing her shoulders, "I've never felt closer to anyone."

Best friend. That was it. She was his best friend. She tried to mask her disappointment as she smiled and leaned back against the back wall again. That cold feeling was telling her that at least she didn't embarrass herself by declaring her love openly, but it was all she could do not to start crying right then and there. She loved him and he was just her best friend.

The next few hours passed in somewhat awkward silence. He had put his arm back over her, and even though that only made her want to start bawling into his fur she hadn't tried to move it. This might be the closest she ever got to him. She wanted to enjoy the misery she was feeling, because she was sure her happiness would never feel this good again. But they hadn't said another word, their last words just hanging in the air between them like an invisible wall.

Eventually, they did come to the capital city on the island, Corona, and Rhonwen forced herself to separate her face from his chest to look over the side of the shell. Corona was dark, it looked like there was a storm in the sky, but worse than that it looked like there were no people there at all. All the villagers, everyone she'd grown up seeing every day when she went on her ride through town was gone, leaving the city looking ghostly and deserted. Where was everyone? Even worse, the bridge that made travel to the city from the mainland more possible was demolished beyond recognition. It was as if something massive had landed on it and dragged it away to another place, leaving only broken pieces at the two places where the bridge had touched land.

The shell hit the shore and Emile offered his hand to help her down to the sand. She took it, forcing herself to swallow the twinge that she felt when she touched him, and stepped out of the shell gingerly. He jumped easily over the side and landed on all fours, standing beside her on his feet after a moment. The others started to pop up from the ocean surface as well, their heads swiftly followed by their upper torsos as they came to tread in the more shallow water, their faces all matching grim masks. Triton surfaced last, and his face was tired, worried, and oh so very old as he raised his trident and the water washed the teenage mer-folk out onto the beach. He brought his trident down to the water and they were no longer mer at all but simply teenagers, their clothing exactly as it had been before they changed, with only the added bonus that it was dry. Triton surged forward on his column of water until he "stood" before Melody, his face sad beyond belief. She hugged him around his neck, thanking him for his help.

"Be careful, my child," he said tenderly, looking at Melody's face, "I will remain here until I hear word from you. If I see anything going wrong, I will do my best with the power given me to help you. But while this is an island surrounded by the sea, it is land nonetheless and thus beyond the greatness of my power. I cannot protect you once you leave my sight. Do you understand this, child?"

"Yes, Grandfather," Melody said, her teary eyes getting fierce, "But I have to do this."

"Then I cannot stop you," the king responded in a fond, melancholy way, "Be safe."

At this the two hugged and Melody turned back, nodding to her companions. They all wordlessly turned and began their accent to the island, each knowing full well that they were going to war.

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><p><strong>And that's the first chapter of the break! Tell me what you think, and don't worry the next chapter will follow shortly.<strong>


	33. Chapter 33

**Hi guys! The big finale is coming up soon, and I hope you all know how much fun I've had with this and how great it's been to have you with me on the way. It won't be the next chapter, don't worry there's still a little bit left, but some action can definately be expected next time. **

**Spoilers for reviewers as always, but if you don't want them you can tell me in the review. I know sometimes I like to just enjoy the suspense, and I've tried to formulate the spoilers so they tell a little without being to revealing, but if you don't want to know I certainly won't ruin it for you. **

**K, read on, and please let me know what you think! **

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><p>Emile walked at the head of his group cautiously as they ventured forth towards the city. Or at least, they ventured towards what had once been a city.<p>

Not that the city of Corona was in ruins or anything, because in that way it seemed perfect. As they came into the residential area, Emile saw that the houses were all very clean and mostly in good shape, with only the small, ordinary damaged shingle or loose shutter. The streets were clean and the day was bright, without a single cloud. Even the potted plants seemed to be freshly watered, as a group of pansies blooming gaily from the front pot in one of the houses proved to him. But perhaps that was why something about this city seemed so wrong.

There was nobody here. Not a single person, not a frightened breath, nothing within his range of hearing. It smelled like there had been people, a lot of people, and as recently as three days ago. But there was no sign of struggle, no sign that they had been driven from their homes, not even the frenzied signs and fearful scent of an evacuation. Even if the city was destroyed in would have been better, more familiar, than this alien stillness. They were all just…gone.

Emile glanced over at Rhonwen, trying to gage how she was handling this. She was a bit pale, and her hands were balled in fists around her hair, but there was a resolute set to her jaw, and while he couldn't really read her eyes as he usually could, they looked focused and firm. She was strong, stronger than he could ever dream that he could be.

Relieved to have something to think about besides the creeping sensation making its way down his spine, Emile thought of the conversation he and Rhonwen had had on the chariot. He still didn't fully know what to make of it. It was unexpected, but at the same time he felt like it had been building up for a while. She said that the journey had made her feel…close to him. What did that mean? Did she mean that she was glad he was there, or that she enjoyed his company more as they traveled, or that she had some kind of feelings for him?

The thought had occurred to him that she was trying to tell him about romantic feelings she might have for him, and for a moment the world had been completely still. Could she possibly feel the same way about him that he felt for her? They did seem to have good instincts about each other. Sometimes he felt like she could read his mind, and he knew she must feel the same way sometimes too, given all the same thoughts they had shared. He'd never known anyone like her. Nobody had ever made him feel that comfortable, that at home. In fact, most people did exactly the opposite.

He looked back over his shoulder to check on the group. Rhonwen was behind him to the right, looking much the same as she had a moment ago. Directly behind her was Red, who was slowing slightly with every step in an unconscious attempt to get closer to Augustine's towering presence, which he didn't seem to mind. In fact, it looked like he wanted to do nothing less that wrap her in his arms protectively, but from his balled up hands and the incessant way he was chewing at his lip, Emile supposed he was resisting that urge so that he might survive to defend her when they found the witch. Beside them were Akram and Melody, who both looked somewhat terrified and were holding hands. Behind Akram were his brothers, led by Ahmed with a show of bravado, though Emile could tell he was a unnerved by this as any of them by the fact that he hadn't noticed his brother holding Melody's hand and started making fun of him for it yet. And finally, standing behind Augustine and Red were Edward and Dianna. Edward was holding Dianna's shoulders comfortingly, whispering something to her. Dianna looked like she might have a heart attack, a look that only increased when she notice Emile looking her way and turned her face away from him fearfully.

Emile looked back in front of him, forcing himself not to feel the rejection that had begun to creep up. It wasn't Dianna's fault. It wasn't any of their faults that they still sometimes acted like they needed to walk on eggshells around him. He was a massive, ugly, and currently somewhat salt encrusted beast, with fangs and claws and enough strength to break a man like Augustine with one blow. He had learned long ago that to strive for acceptance was a pointless quest, that invisibility was the much better option. People had come for terrify him as much as he terrified them, if not more so. At one time, he would have loved to be something else, a human boy growing up in a human family. But he had been this way for as long as he could remember; from what little he could get about the day of his birth he had changed only moments after he was born. Yes, the fur was an inconvenience and he didn't like to be stared at like some kind of monster, but this is what he had always been.

That brought his thoughts back to what would happen if the curse was broken. He would become human, wouldn't he? He would have a normal human body, with normal human hands, face, and feet, no claws or excessive body hair. Nothing could ever be so simultaneously terrifying and exciting for him as this thought. He would be normal, yes. He wouldn't be the threat parents tell bedtime stories to their children about. Yes, he remembered his mother's bedtime stories to him. They were all about fairies and villages, nothing of the books he read from the top storybook shelf she didn't know he could climb to. No brave, courageous hero off to fight an ogre, monster, or terrible _beast_ to save a damsel in distress. But he had been able to read at a very young age, only three when he finished his very first book. And when his father had simply told him that the top shelf of storybooks were forbidden, the temptation had overwhelmed him and he discovered that he was also reasonably good an climbing. And that claw marks were very noticeable evidence. But the worst thing those books had taught him was that this was how the world saw him, and that he and a woman he hadn't even known if he would meet were his only chance of ever not being that.

But then thoughts had bombarded him that weighed on him since that day. What would being human even be like? He had noticed that their knees turned a different direction from his, and he had imagined on several occasions that it must feel very strange for them to do so. Would he even be able to walk? And what if it turned out that he was normal, human, but ugly? He knew that sounded completely ridiculous and had laughed at himself over it several times, but the thought remained like a weed rooted firmly in the ground.

But then, what did that matter if he found someone who could break the curse? She wouldn't care how he looked if she could fall in love with him like this, so he didn't have to be a handsome man. It would be enough for him if he was simply a man.

Even so, he knew he had found a woman whom he trusted and cared more for than he had thought possible in Rhonwen. Maybe Rhonwen was the one, and maybe she only…felt very close to him. Emile wondered if he should have just told her about his feelings for her, about how she had changed his life and been the only person he had ever met that he could say anything to. But the way she had worded it, the look that came to her eyes before she spoke. It was that strange, still, unreadable look that she still wore now. Was she aware of his feelings for her? Did she think that she should tell him gently that they couldn't be anything more than friends, or was that what she wanted? And her actual words had been so vague that they hadn't answered any of his questions. What was he supposed to say to that? Maybe if she'd said something more clear like "we are just friends, right?" or "Are we more than friends?" then he would have had something to work with. So he went with just plain honesty. She was his best friend and he had never felt closer to anyone. He left out the fact that he would like to call her more than a friend, and waited to see if her response clarified anything for him, but she just smiled and him and leaned back, looking somewhat distant again. So perhaps her mission was accomplished. Maybe by saying she was his best friend, she thought he meant "and only a friend" and she didn't have to worry.

Whatever her reason, all he knew was that he had wanted to say something more the entire journey after that but hadn't found the right words. He wanted to badly to go back to that shell and tell her when she was sitting there against him that he loved her more than anything. He actually wanted to make a fool of himself and spout off some grand speech like Edward, just to see her perky smile and hear her make fun of him. He loved her. But now was not the time to tell her that. They had to find the witch, had to stop her, and if her death didn't break the curse then he was sure he could tell Rhonwen later and perhaps they could clarify their feelings for each other a little more. But until then, he had to stay focused, stay alert, and most of all protect the only human being outside his family who had ever made him feel truly accepted for who he was. He would protect all of his friends, but Rhonwen was more than his friend now. She was his life.

He glanced around him as they entered a more open area, brought from his thoughts but the change in scenery. It looked like an abandoned market place, as the wider street had a few carts here and there with the goods untouched inside them. Emile smelled the air and listened carefully around him again, trying to catch any trace of a scent younger than the ones before now. He was surprised when he did, a smell that was fresh and feminine, but definitely not inviting. He growled involuntarily low in his throat and the group froze, drawing weapons. Rhonwen glanced questioningly at him, he saw through his peripheral vision, but he was more interested now in finding the source of the smell. He followed if for only a few footsteps before his ears pressed back against an unexpected loud noise after continued silence.

"Well then, here they are!" a dark female voice called out from an unidentifiable location, "Got here faster than I expected! How marvelous."

Emile backed up until her was closer to his group growling and talking a defensive stance in front of them. He was suddenly glad he still had his beast form, with its claws and fangs and strength. He'd need it if he was going to protect them.

* * *

><p>Vincent could have exploded when the witch disappeared. What he actually did was throw a chair at the wall and growl in frustration, but it had about the same effect. Everyone in the room was looking at him with the expression saved for lunatics and rabid animals. With the exception of Belle, of course; she just looked tired. But that was the most reaction any of them had, besides looking afraid or worried. What was wrong with these people?<p>

"We have to think of something," he said, because he had the attention now, he might as well use it, "We need to get to the children."

"You heard what she said," Queen Blanca said tearfully, "She'll never tell us where they are! Oh, my poor precious Rosa! She must be so frightened!"

"She may not tell us, but I agree with King Vinny," the Genie inserted, "We need to get to those kids, and fast, before they find what they're looking for."

Vincent reddened slightly at being called by such an undignified nickname, but as the Genie appeared to be his ally he chose to let it slide. For now.

"Ok, here's what we need to do," Eugene started in, with that tone of voice that said he actually knew what he was doing this time, "Process of elimination. Where do we know the kids are probably not?"

"Their last trail was in the Southern Kingdom, so we can eliminate the ones too far away for them to travel to in two days' time," said Belle, taking Vincent's arm.

"She has my son," Rapunzel said, her eyes tearing, "The last place that he was known to be was Corona. Maybe we should look there first; Rhonwen would go there too and if not there may be some sign there as to where they went."

Vincent nodded to Rapunzel's logic and looked to the others around him.

"Are we all in agreement?" he asked, meeting each pair of eyes, "All able fighters among us and own servants are to go to the island of Corona?"

He received a nod from each king and a couple of the queens and turned to Rapunzel and Eugene last. They both nodded simultaneously, Eugene's arms wrapped around Rapunzel's waist. Then he looked to the Genie.

"Take us," he said simply.

"Yes sir, Vinny!"

"MYNAMEISNOTVINNY!" Vincent yelled, and then the royals were gone from the palace.

* * *

><p>Rhonwen stepped closer to Emile when she heard the voice, frightened by how much she sounded like Circe and yet how different. The voice was the same in general pitch; it was low, down from the chest. But the accent was different. She didn't sound like English was her native tongue but her speech in it was far more comfortable than Circe's, as if she had more practice. But a worse difference by far was the tone. It was dead, uncaring, and completely callous. Even Circe's voice changed slightly with emotion, but this voice was terrifying in its calm. When she started to speak again, Rhonwen took another step towards Emile, almost pressed against him in fear now, though she tried not to let it show.<p>

"So, then, you all are the first pathetic wave are you?" the voice said, "Little Princes and Princesses come to save their mommies? Oh, this will come to nothing at all, I might as well just kill the boy now. Bait is of no use to me if you're all dead."

"If you kill my brother, so help me, I'll kill you!" Rhonwen screamed, hoping to everything she held sacred that she hadn't already done it.

"Yes, I'm aware of that," the voice said in a queer, detached way, "Which is the better motivator, hope or vengeance? Vengeance is rather powerful, but can be overcome. Hope, however. Hope is far harder to kill out. I've only seen a few mortals do it in my life, and even fewer were as young as you. If I leave the boy alive, will you come get him?"

"Of course I will!" Rhonwen shouted to the air, eyes frantically searching for something to be seen of this voice's owner.

"Then, by all means, do so," the voice replied, "I'll be waiting with him."

"Why are you doing this?" Rhonwen yells, frustration finally getting the better of her.

"Someone like you could never understand," the voice answered, still showing no sign of emotion, "But, if you must know, it has something to do with hope. Now please, hurry your little feet. Oh, and do be careful of the Sun Hounds. My _dear _wretched grandfather sent them to protect me years ago, and it would be such a shame if they managed to kill you before you got here. Goodbye now."

Sun Hounds? Rhonwen looked to Emile with a dreading questioning look, and he returned it. What was a Sun Hound?

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><p><strong>And there it is, oh the lovely cruelty of cliff hangers. Hope you enjoyed!<strong>


	34. Chapter 34

**Here's the next chapter! These last few might take a little longer, but that's only because I'm trying to make these the best chapters of the story. Let me know what you think, and I'll give spoilers, as always. This story will be ending very soon, and I'm just glad that I have do many great, loyal readers. You're awesome guys!**

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><p>When the royal parents and their servants arrived, they did not find what they were expecting. They were planning to land in a bustling, busy city, the capital city of Ringdorn and therefore the largest and most traveled city in the kingdom. What they found was an abandoned illusion of a city. It seemed like a model made by a fine toymaker; every building was perfect to the last detail, but he couldn't capture the movement and energy of human life. Eugene stared around himself, taking in the vacancy with a growing feeling of foreboding. All his people were gone.<p>

The Genie had landed them right next to the castle, where his son was supposed to be, but Eugene was beginning to doubt that anyone was left in this freakish void. He glanced around him in the city square behind him, facing opposite to the castle, thinking of how it should be. There were usually peddlers with every cart, sometimes even two of them, stopping nearby people to bother them into buying something. There were people hustling through town, looking for the items they needed from the marketplace. There were children running and playing. There was even the occasional orphan kid, who he would catch trying to pickpocket him, give tips, and then walk the kid back home with a gold coin for each child in his orphanage. But the beauty, the bustling peace that he had come to love over the years was gone, replaced by a dreading silence and an ominous stillness. Eugene turned back to the castle, looking up at the closed gate with some irritation. There was someone here; that was for certain. And whoever this witch was, she had the gall to lock him out of his own castle and put his children in danger. He had stolen the princess's heart, and her castle, fair and square! And nobody who had ever threatened his kids had lived long, he wasn't about to let down his record.

Glancing at the others, to turned on his heel and began walking to his right, Rapunzel following behind him swiftly. He heard a few murmurs and footsteps before he heard Vincent's voice, strangely loud in the oppressive silence, even though his tone was relatively low.

"Eugene, what are you doing?" Vincent asked, running up beside him.

"There's another way into the castle," Eugene answered, his steps not faltering at all, "We need to find my boy."

"We need a plan, Eugene," Rapunzel said from behind them, jogging to catch up, "We can't just run in halfcocked and expect to come out on top."

"But that's what I do best," Eugene replied sarcastically, leaning back on the Flynn Rider wit like a crutch.

"Eugene," Rapunzel said with force, though her tone didn't rise.

Eugene stopped. This was his castle, his city, his children. Nobody had the right to put them in harms way, and if anybody dared try it was his job to sstop them. He had always sworn that nothing bad would happen to his kids, like what his childhood had been like. He had failed them, and he didn't have time to plan, he needed to fix this. His son could be lying dead in there while they were out here making a plan. But he could never refuse Rapunzel when she got that tone, so he sighed, turning back to her reluctantly.

"He'll be ok," She said, as if reading his thoughts, "Rufus can take care of himself, and we won't help him by running in there and getting caught."

Eugene made a deeply displeased facial expression and turned back to the wall. But then his shoulders sagged and he turned back to the group, face determined.

"Ok, so let's form ourselves a fail proof plan then," he said, grinning like Flynn Rider.

* * *

><p>Emile led his friends, following Rhonwen's instructions on how to get into the castle but not letting any of them walk in front of him. If anyone was going to find out what a Sun Hound was the hard way, it was going to be him. Rhonwen had shown them to a secret tunnel system under the castle, which she said had been there since the war that formed her kingdom; a hiding place for the family that eventually became the royal family. The castle had been placed right above it, as a way of declaring that hiding was no longer part of their kingdom, and that the time for fear had ended and peace had begun. Emile just hoped she remembered the way through it correctly. There were a hundred tunnels, leading every direction, and though she always chose one without hesitation, Emile had yet to figure out how she knew the one she chose was right. Perhaps just muscle memory from traveling them many times before.<p>

He glanced back at his friends and then forward again. He didn't like that there were so many tunnels, and that each step echoed through them all. He couldn't hear where anything was directly coming from. So far they hadn't seen, heard, or smelled any sign of these hounds the witch mentioned, but Emile was certain they existed. The way she brought them up was strange, like she actually wanted their group to find her, but the threat in her voice had been unmistakable. Whatever they were, they were dangerous.

"Now right," Rhonwen whispered from behind him, and he turned obligingly.

This tunnel was more open and he could smell fresh air coming in. They must have been getting close to the exit. The group walked further for a few steps and Emile could feel the warmth of the sunlight as they grew closer to the exit. But he realized quickly that the warmth didn't feel right. It was coming from behind him, not in front of him. Realizing his mistake, Emile turned swiftly and tried to push through his friends to meet the oncoming threat. He could smell the creature now, which smelled like fur that had been put out in the sun for a few hours. But he could still neither see nor hear the beast.

"Emile, what's wrong?" Augustine asked from behind him.

"Something's behind us," Emile replied, "Get everyone out of the tunnels. I'll follow you when the last person's out."

"Understood," Augustine said, turning to the others and asking Rhonwen to hurry them toward the exit.

"But," Rhonwen said, hesitating, "Emile…"

"Go," Emile replied calmly, "I'll be fine."

It seemed like she was about to say something, but suddenly the warmth grew more intense. It was getting closer, probably about to turn the bend.

"Go, now!" Emile hissed back at the others.

They turned and began to hurry down the tunnel. Emile sighed, relieved that they were out of the way, and turned back to the warmth, bracing his legs and arms solidly against the ground. He strained his ears and trained his eyes on the end of the tunnel, able to see perfectly despite the dark. He still couldn't hear a thing, but he saw a faint glowing and a long shadow. Steadying his mind, Emile waited and after what seemed like an eternity, the animal finally stepped into view.

It was massive, but not in a bulky way. Its head scraped the top on the tunnel, which was at least ten feet high. Its long, lean body stretched out behind it and its feet pawed restlessly at the ground before it. Wait, they pawed at the thin air. Emile couldn't believe what he was seeing, but the animal's paws weren't touching the ground. It was floating just above the ground, standing on the air itself as if that was the most natural thing in the world. Well, that explained why he hadn't heard any footsteps.

It looked like a queer mixture of a dog and a horse, with the long, muscular neck, flanks, and legs of a horse and a dog's head, paws, and tail. Its black coat glimmered from the only light source they had, the beasts own eyes. The eyes themselves were a deep violet, but they glowed with an intensity that rivaled the hottest day Emile had ever seen. The creature growled and Emile instinctively stepped back, his fur standing on end like a porcupine. Seeing his fear, the beast showed its teeth, which were long, sharp, and glimmered faintly like gold. Two long claws sprouted from each toe on its four-toed feet, which also glimmered with a metallic sheen. It crouched down into a predatory position, its long pointed ears flicking back in anticipation, its canine snout wrinkling with predatory pleasure. Emile's eyes widened, but he knew he couldn't let his friends down.

Just as the hound was about to spring toward him, Emile let out a bellowing roar, more deafening than he was even aware that he could produce, and leaped towards the creature instead. Startled by the thunderclap sound so close to its assumedly sensitive ears, the animal let out a small yelp and started a bit, pulling away from the sound instinctively. Emile landed, all the claws, directly on the animal's head between its ears, not hesitating to bite the back of the creatures neck near its base as hard as he could and grasp its hide with his claws, wrapping his legs around its jaw. As he anticipated, the hound roared in pain and rage and began bucking its head around wildly in an attempt to shake him loose. Emile held on for dear life, despite the fact that he was starting to feel as if his fingers, fur, and teeth were heating at an uncomfortable rate the longer he held the animal.

Frustrated that it hadn't dislodged him yet, and unable to reach him with its teeth, the hound brought its back paw, with eight hooked claws, up towards its face as if it had an itch. Emile's eyes widened and he grabbed on tighter, knowing what was coming. The claws scraped at his shoulder and he bellowed again, this time in pain. Those claws felt like a terrible, hot fire, charring their way through his fur and skin. For a moment he was tempted to let go and flee, but he knew without a doubt now that this creature would catch him with no trouble once he did so. No, his only hope was to hold on and pray it didn't kill him before his friends could get far enough away.

However, when he roared the hound whined and shook its head again, as a dog would when trying to dry itself, almost shaking Emile off as he had let go of its neck to scream. It tried scratching him again, but Emile saw it coming and roared into its ears again, then bit down on its neck. The hound whined and began to run, its silent steps covering a dizzying amount of ground. Before he could blink twice, Emile found himself out of the darkness and in an open garden. And, before he had more than a glance at his surroundings, he was spinning in lightning fast circles, and the hound had balanced itself on its hind legs and begun to spin in the air like a top. Centrifugal force eventually forced his claws to tear from the hounds neck and Emile flew towards the bushes, landing ungracefully in a very nice evergreen plant. He stood, unsteady on his paws, and turned back towards the hound, sure that it would strike him down now that he was unbalanced. But the animal seemed to have lost interest in him entirely, instead crouching and moving slowly towards the opposite corner of the garden.

Emile's eyes widened as he both guessed and saw its new target simultaneously. The others! He roared ferociously and took off on all fours towards the animal's flank, ignoring the searing pain that now erupted from all of his paws. The creature turned back towards him, but then looked away again as something gold colored snapped out of the corner it was facing and hit its face with a whip crack sound. Emile drove claws first into the hound again, this time hooking his rear claws into its flank and shredding at its back with his forepaws. The hound howled in distress and turned swiftly, bucking its back as it did so and discarding Emile again.

However, this was exactly what Emile had planned for. He was thrown onto the ground in front of his friends, directly between them and the monster. It would have to go through him before it could touch them, and he had no intention of letting that happen. When the animal turned back towards them, Emile reared onto his hind legs and roared, showing his claws and teeth, with the fur along his spine skiing with aggression. The animal took a moment to consider. It was already bleeding from its neck and back, the blood glistening along its sides. It looked winded and unsteady on one foot, and Emile could feel it sizing him up, looking over his own injuries to judge whether or not attacking again was wise. Emile growls and tightened, sending the clear message that no, it was not.

After a moment, the hound seemed to agree, as it began to step back slowly from him, growling and lowering its head to signify surrender. Emile instinctively took that cue and charged forward, roaring loudly. The creature turned and ran away swiftly, jumping over the nine foot wall blocking the garden as if it was nothing. Emile panted for a few minutes, the looked back to his friends. They all looked like they were alright; it hadn't touched any of them. For one frantic moment he couldn't see Rhonwen with the others, but then he spotted her running towards him. Feeling exhausted and burned, Emile crouched back down onto all four legs, wincing when his burned hands touched the ground again. He lay on his side and took the weight off the singed appendages, careful to lie on the shoulder that had not been burned by the claws. Rhonwen finally reached him and as she began to wrap her hair around his hand, he felt lightheaded enough that he could faint. Vaguely, he heard her begin to sing and a new vitality began to slow through him. His shoulder ceased hurting almost immediately, as did his paws. By the time she was finished, he felt strong enough to move again, though he was still tired from the fight and felt somewhat stiff from the speed of the healing.

He couldn't complain though. The gunshots had left a similar stiffness, though not as far spread as this. And at least he would be able to take care of his friends again. He still felt a deep instinctive dread, and he remembered that the witch had said hounds. He wasn't sure he could face another like that again. He sat up, looking around. Everyone had gathered around Rhonwen while she sang. They were staring at him with concern and awe now, and fear was present in more than a few pairs of eyes. Emile reminded himself that the hound hadn't been the only beast present and stood cautiously, trying not to alarm anyone.

"It's ok now," he said quietly, holding up his hands in a peaceful gesture, "It's gone. But we have to keep moving."

The group blinked a few times and Emile's ears flicked back nervously. The he felt something touch him right arm and turned to see Rhonwen standing beside him, holding his forearm in her two little hands.

"Emile's right," she said, "We have to get inside."

The group nodded, and though the strange expressions didn't leave their faces immediately, they at least followed when Rhonwen and Emile turned and headed towards the garden door to enter the castle. Emile breathed out the breath he'd been holding and stepped forward resolutely with Rhonwen. They were finally entering the castle.

* * *

><p>Belle walked beside her husband as they made their way, two by two, through the set of tunnels that Eugene was showing them. He husband's eyes were on the ground and she knew exactly why. He had spotted the children's tracks as soon as they had entered the tunnels. They had a plan now, at least, about how they would bet into the castle undetected. Eugene said there were about twenty exits to these tunnels that he had yet found, and probably countless others that he hadn't. One of these exits was into the dungeons.<p>

Eugene had laughed when he said the word dungeon, because not only were they incredibly small and bearing next to no instruments of torture, but they hadn't been used for nearly seventy years. It seemed there hadn't been a criminal worthy of a dungeon for all that time; thieves and small timers could be kept in an ordinary prison, and the dungeons were apparently viewed more as a piece of history (and occasionally a joke, apparently) than as a legitimate threat. That was why Eugene insisted that it would be the perfect way to get into the castle. And, as an added bonus, the dungeons were below the main throne room in a subterranean chamber, with a hidden staircase that only the king knew about. Apparently Rapunzel's father had shown it to Eugene before their wedding, as a sort of welcome to the family gesture. Eugene swore them all to secrecy, and promised his eternal wrath should they break said oath, then led them on the shortest path he knew. So far, they were following right in the tracks of the children.

Belle was increasingly hopeful that they would just turn the next corner and see them. Vincent kept looking more and more intently at the tracks, and had stated several times that they looked as recent as ten minutes. To think those ten minutes ago, her baby had been standing exactly where she was! Belle knew that wishing was useless in regards to the past, but oh how she wished that she had been here ten minutes earlier!

Eugene signaled a left from just in front of them and Bell frowned. She wasn't' a tracker, but even she could see that the children's tracks didn't go that way. Vincent made a frustrated noise and stopped, forcing all those behind him to do the same.

"Eugene," he said, as if addressing someone especially slow, "The tracks don't go that way."

"Oh, really? I hadn't noticed," Eugene answered sarcastically, "This was the plan. We'll get to the throne room faster than the children if we go this way."

"Doesn't your daughter know these tunnels?" Belle asked, "Why would she go the long way?"

"She went the fastest way she knows," Eugene replied, "This was a secret only for the king, remember? I haven't even told my son yet, I'm saving that for the day before his wedding. She didn't know of the tunnel, and so she thought it would be longer to get to the throne room from the dungeon than the garden, where that tunnel lets out. Now hurry or we'll lose our lead."

Silenced by that logic, they began down the tunnel that Eugene had chosen at a faster pace than they had been traveling before. Belle felt like she could have sprinted to the end of the tunnel, but that wouldn't be a good idea if she was going into a fight with a witch. She'd need her stamina. But, after a moment and a few turns of the tunnel, Belle heard a sound that sent chills down her spine.

It was her son. Emile was roaring, bellowing louder that she had ever heard him before, and she knew that somewhere in these tunnels he was in trouble. Vincent heard it to and went running back down the tunnel towards the children's tracks, but stopped short when he reached the back of the group. Belle caught up to him and froze as she saw what had stopped him. It was a giant, black dog, larger than a horse. Its purple eyes glared down at them and she felt a scream breaking from her throat as it growled and lunged towards them. Then, when she expected to be torn to shreds by those massive teeth, the Genie was there, in front of them. And all around them. Belle couldn't believe her eyes, but the Genie had duplicated himself so that he surrounded the entire party, and every time the massive dog tried to lunge, he would do some magical spell the stopped it. Belle looked back to the rest of the party and gasped when she discovered that the dog she had seen was not the only dog there was. There were three of them in all, all trying to get past the Genie and all failing.

"Genie, are you alright?" Aladdin said from right behind her, "How long can you keep this up?"

"Are you kidding, good buddy?" the Genie replied from every copy, "We can do this all day!"

"Enough," a deep voice said from the darkness, and everyone's gaze turned to the sound, even the hounds.

In the dark passage, Belle could suddenly see a pair of glowing golden eyes. They were like the violet, glowing eyes of the dogs, and yet there was something distinctly different about them as well. The bearer of the eyes walked a little closer to the party, and in the dim glow cast by his and his comrades' eyes, Belle could see him. He was larger than the other hounds, with rippling muscles under his dark, black fur. The other hounds moved aside for him, and it became instantly clear that he was the leader of these strange creatures. The golden eyes inspected each face in the group and then landed on one, namely the Genie.

"Great Blue Genie, my salutations," the great hound said bowing his head slightly, "You are intruding here, and in courtesy of the territorial agreements we have made, I would ask that you leave immediately with your humans."

"Sorry, can't do," Genie said, suddenly only one being again and facing the lead dog, "You see, we agreed that the mini-Cirs was going to be your turf, and that my master and his family would be mine. Now, as you know, I no longer have a master, but I do hang around with that guy, Al, a lot and probably will until he dies of old age. I might even stick around a few generations after that to take care of his kids. So I consider him and his family my turf. And some of his sons are here, which is why we are. If you give me the boys and their friends back, we'll be out of your hair."

Vincent walked up behind the Genie while he spoke and when he went silent he whispered in his ear.

"You know this monster?" Vincent asked.

"I am no monster, mortal," the dog said, its keen ears flicking towards Vincent, "I am Daemon, Captain of the Sun Hounds. You would be wise to give due respect."

"Here we go," said the Genie, sighing tiredly.

* * *

><p><strong>Well that's it! See you soon, and leave me a few words if you're liking it!<strong>


	35. Chapter 35

**Here's the next chapter. There will only be a few more, and it may or may not make it to an even forty. Thanks to everyone for joining me on the ride, I've enjoyed this immensely. **

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><p>Rhonwen felt like she should be shaking. They were walking into her home, into her castle, where she had grown up. And now it was nothing but an alien, forbidding location that mocked her in its similarity to her true home. Emile walked beside her and she eyed him worriedly. He had been at the point of death, again. He had been badly burned and was bleeding, and without her presence he would have died within minutes.<p>

Did he trust her that much? Was he really certain that she would be able to get to him in time, that he could risk himself knowing that she'd fix him if he got broken? But no, that wasn't right, Rhonwen realized. He had sent her away, forced her to run in the opposite direction that he went. Then he had rushed the danger alone. He didn't trust her to _save_ him; he was hoping that she would be too far away to do so, hoping that she would be safe even if he wasn't. Rhonwen blinked, her eyes moistening as she thought about what he had really just done. Regardless of the fact that she had healed him, he had still sacrificed himself for her, for them. She couldn't think about anything more noble for a man to do, which broke her heart all the worse as it made her love him that much more.

Blinking again, but this time to clear the threatening tears, Rhonwen clamped down on her emotions. She should be preparing herself, steeling herself for the confrontation with Aega that she knew was imminent. Emile was willing to put his life on the line to get them here, and she would never let her emotions sweep away her logic when he needed her. It didn't matter that he didn't love her the way she did him; she would be there when he needed her because he had done the same for her. Drawing back her composure quietly, sure that nobody had seen its momentary lapse, she took his arm.

"The throne room is this way," she said, pulling him towards a hallway leading to the right, "If she would choose any place in the castle to wait for us, it would be there."

"Good thinking," Emile replied, following her and waving an arm to the others, "What's the plan?"

"I was hoping you had some idea on that front," Rhonwen said as sarcastically as she could manage, though she felt her hands tighten on his arm as they reached the top step on a short flight of stairs.

"Oh," he said quietly, a pensive expression coming to his face, "The truth is, I don't know if there's a way to plan what we're about to do. I can think of about three hundred different ways this thing could go. The only thing we can do is be ready for anything, and pray that anything includes Aega."

Rhonwen nodded and they continued down the hallway, their steps soft on the carpets but echoing in the emptiness of the stone surroundings. Within minutes they were facing the entrance to the throne room, the door dark red mahogany against the light stone left wall of the hallway. Rhonwen followed Emile's gaze back to the others, and she realized that they were going to have to address them, give them some sort of idea of what was expected of them once they entered that room. She didn't have the slightest clue as to what she could tell them, but luckily it seemed that he did.

"Friends," he said, making eye contact with them all as he continued, "This is it. This is the purpose that brought us all here. But once we go in there, there's no coming back. And I know as well as you all do that some of us are simply not fighters."

He paused for a moment in his speech there to push through a few friends to find the ones he needed to speak to. Rhonwen knew what was coming and bit her lip, guilty that she hadn't thought of what he was going to do. She had to get control of her emotions, they were clouding her judgement when she needed it most.

"Dianna," Emile said, standing about three feet away so as not to spook her, "You need to stay behind. You won't stand a chance if it breaks out into physical fighting and worse, you could be a liability for us if we needed to protect you."

Dianna nodded, looking relieved but worried. She was honest enough to know that she wouldn't have a square shot if she got pulled into a fight. Edward grasped her arms and rested his forehead just above her ear, whispering something comforting no doubt.

"Melody," Emile said next, looking to her questioningly, "How much hand to hand combat experience to you have? Be as honest as you can."

"A little, but not much," Melody said, meeting his eyes, and then completing her statement before he could speak again, "You're right. I might get in the way, I'll stay behind."

"Thank you," he said, his ears flicking quickly, then he turned hesitantly to the next party he had to address, "Red…"

He began but never finished that statement. Red turned, well, red and began flustering before he could utter another word.

"Are you seriously coming up to me and….are you saying I….if you think that I'll just…" she sputtered, holding up a threatening finger to Emile's nose.

Emile looked like he was about to respond, a tired look of validated expectations crossing his face, but he was interrupted again as Augustine threw in his ten cents.

"He's just trying to make sure you're safe," he said in a reasonable voice, walking over to Red.

"I can make sure I'm safe, thank you very much!" she replied, fire coming to her eyes as she looked at the one person she always seemed to argue with, "I don't need him, or you, telling me what's best for me!"

"I'm not trying to…" Augustine started, but was cut off as Red continued on her merry tirade.

"I can handle myself!" she whisper/yelled furiously, switching the threatening finger to Augustine, "I don't need a charming prince to save me, I don't need this chivalrous "protect the lady" bull shit, and I don't need you!"

"Yes you do, damn it!" Augustine broke out, startling everyone by losing his temper for the first time they'd seen and whisper yelling back at Red, "You do need saving, you do need protecting, and you need me whether you'll admit it or not!"

"How dare you!" Red said, looking both alarmed and incensed by the fact that this time she'd actually made him lose it and fight with her instead of his usual unaffected banter.

"Because I love you!" he returned, barely managing not to shout in his passion.

The entire hallway went silent as a corpse then, all eyes widening and the air tingling with the pent up tension flying through the air between Red and Augustine. Then it ended with a motion that was the last thing anyone would have expected. Red's hands shot out, like she was going to box Augustine's ears, but then they grabbed ahold of his shirt collar and pulled him down, her face colliding with his in a forceful kiss. After a moment of surprise, Augustine's hand went around her back and pulled her closer, and the rest of the party gaped as the two of them pressed their lips together for two straight minutes without coming up for air. When they finally did separate, Red's eyes were still flaring and Augustine just stared into them, refusing to let go of her. It seemed their argument had moved beyond words and was now just in their eye contact, as they glared intently at each other now, their eyes flickering intensely. Finally, Red seemed to sag slightly and Augustine's death grip on her arms loosened.

"I suppose I could go with them," she said simply, still not breaking eye contact with Augustine, "You know they'll need protection and everything."

"Of course," Emile said, staring incredulously at Red and Augustine in intervals.

A silent agreement seemed to pass between the two and Red stepped away from Augustine, moving towards Dianna and Melody. Augustine didn't move for a moment, his eyes trailing Red, but then he turned and strode a few steps away, as if to put his thoughts back together. Rhonwen stared open mouthed, still completely flabbergasted by what had just happened, but Emile began to speak again and her mouth shut with an audible snap.

"Red is correct, of course," he said, walking towards the brothers, "They will need protection and it's too big a job for Red alone. Or for anyone," he corrected when Red glared back at him, "Ahmed, I need you to decide which of you guys should stay with this group and which should protect them while they find a place to hide."

Rhonwen nodded, understanding the wisdom of this choice. Everyone knew that Ahmed thought of himaelf as the highest ranking in an army of brothers. her was constantly ordering the others around and they obeyed everything he said. So, if Emile were to choose, the brothers chosen might take it as a slight against them and Ahmed would take it as a threat to his authority. This way, both got what they were used to and the purpose was still accomplished. Rhonwen smiled slightly, thoughtful. How far Emile had come from being so afraid to speak to the others.

"No problem," Ahmed said, and turned to his brothers, pointing his finger in an authoritory sort of way, "'Ajib, Akif, and Akram, you all go and protect the ladies."

"No," Akram said, stepping forward, "Adnan, take my place, I'm going in with you guys."

Ahmed made an incredulous face for a moment at his youngest brother present before storm clouds gathered above his eyebrows.

"Are you questioning my authority?" he said, standing as tall as he could and squaring his chest against his younger brother, "I told you to go, you can't question orders."

"I'm not questioning orders," Akram said, taking an equally aggressive stance to his brother's, again surprising everyone, "I'm refusing them. I came on this journey voluntarily; I helped for the plan that brought us all here. If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't even be here giving orders. And I am going to see this through. So Adnan goes with them, and _I see this through_. Only option."

Ahmed gaped as his younger brother, completely caught off guard by his outburst. Akram stood his ground, boldly meeting his brothers eyes without more than a slight trace of the fear he had shown before in standing up to him. He'd grown too, Rhonwen realised. They all had. Ahmed's mouth closed slowly and he balled his fists. Akram only balled his own fists in return and jutted out his chin assertively, glaring into his brother's eyes. Then Ahmed smiled, would the surprises never cease, and raised his hands, talking his brother's face in them and meeting his eyes intently.

"Well, look at you," he said, "I never thought you had that in you. Fine, you can come. But if you get hurt, it's your own fault."

The two looked at each other for a moment more before Ahmed dropped his hands and turned away, the matter resolved, throwing one last comment over his shoulder.

"Oh, and by the way," he quipped, "When this is over, I'm breaking your punk little nose for that."

Rhonwen blinked, looking back and forth between the brothers, and then glanced back to Emile. She had to admire how composed he was during all these little outbursts. It seemed like everyone was baring their deepest darkest, and he just kept outlining the plan. Staring into the eyes of the dragon must have that effect on people.

"Ok, so I want you all to go," he continued, bringing everyone's attention back to him, "You need to find a fortifiable place to hide and settle in. When this is all over, if you don't resurface, we'll send a messenger through all the hallways saying that it's over and you can come out."

He made eye contact with the members of the little group and they each nodded. Then they all began saying goodbye to the loved ones they were parting from. Red walked over to Augustine and slapped him, saying it was just for the principle of the thing, and then the two were kissing again. Edward held Dianna close, saying "never to fear" and "he would live just to return to her" as she cried onto his chest, then those two were also kissing. Melody was talking to Akram in a hushed voice, a curious intensity in her eyes, and just as he turned to walk towards his brothers, she grabbed his hand, pulled him back, and gently kissed his lips. He smiled, returned her chaste kiss, and lingered for a moment before releasing her hand and walking over to Ahmed's side. Ahmed slapped him on the shoulder, but made no other comment, not even the smallest mockery for his little brother's newfound affection for Melody.

Rhonwen watched all these lovers' goodbyes and her heart clenched. She wouldn't have to say goodbye to one she loved, but she felt that she would much rather have. But at least she could be there to take care of him if he was hurt. Never had she been gladder that her father was Eugene Fitzherbert/ Flynn Rider. All that training in swords and frying pan combat made her ready to stand by Emile in this fight, a chance that she knew at least two of the other girls would have killed for, probably all three. She remembered the determination on Dianna's face when she rode towards Edward after he first confronted the brothers. She knew the feeling, being willing to sacrifice everything just to be there, even if she couldn't do anything. She didn't envy the other girls, being forced to leave by their lack of proper weapons training.

The group left them then, making their way swiftly back down the hallway, and Rhonwen's entire party turned back towards the mahogany doors. Rhonwen inhaled a breath through her nose and exhaled quickly. Then she turned to her right and looked up to Emile's face, wordlessly asking the question that was on everyone's mind. _Are you ready_?

Emile turned back to her with the same expression, then glanced and nodded to those behind him to prepare them. Reaching forward, he took the door handle in his hand and pulled.

Inside was the throne room she had known since she was a small child. Here is where she and Rufus used to push their wooden carts and have races in their stockings on the marble floors. Here is where her father had taught her to walk soundlessly on hard floors in hard soled shoes. Here is where her mother had quizzed her on royal matters in between audiences with the queen. And here was where her adventure had led her. Ironic that the first thing she'd done to deliberately separate herself from her family had led her right back here, right back home.

Before her, in the center of the throne room's massive floor, was a sight that she'd been praying not to see. Her brother Rufus laid there, blood surrounding his head, his eyes closed. _No!_ Rhonwen then lost all control, all logic, and ran towards her twin brother, untying the hair around her waist as she ran. He couldn't be dead, she wouldn't allow it!

But before she even got half way to him, a figure appeared before her and she came to a sudden, jarring halt. She stumbled back from the person, fury in her eyes as she knew who this must be. Sight confirmed what she had assumed as a perfect pair of full lips smiled and parted to speak.

"Not so fast," Aega said, sounding strangely unattached despite her smile, "There's still the little matter of killing me."

* * *

><p>Eugene had had just about enough of crazy unnatural creatures for one lifetime. After Gothel, he figured he'd gotten his dose of the completely bizarre out of the way and he could have some kind of normal life, but here he was. The group was surrounded by supernatural dog creatures, the Genie was arguing with said supernatural dog creatures, Vincent had just insulted the leader of the supernatural dog creatures, and all he could think about was how incredibly slowly this argument was progressing. He sighed, realising just how comonplace such things had become. When did he become a politician? And worse, why did this not seem like the strangest thing he'd ever done? They'd lost their lead long ago, he knew that much. His daughter was probably in the throne room now, as were the rest of the children, and all he could do was twitch while he waited for the next catastrophe.<p>

"No need to lose your temper," the Genie said, "He's just a mortal. Pretty much anything he sees that has fangs or claws is a monster. He was just scared, didn't mean any disrespect."

"His being mortal does not excuse his ignorance," Daemon, the lead dog, stated icily, "However, I have encountered similar ignorance among many other mortals. Very ungrateful, seeing as my pups and I protect the Chariot of the Sun, which makes us practically responsible for their ongoing existence. They wouldn't last long if the chariot simply ceased to ride. But, seeing as there are more important matters at hand, I will not waste time with executing this idiot creature."

"How very gracious," the Genie replied, sarcasm dripping from his tone.

"Let us not derail our conversation, Blue One," Daemon snapped authoritatively, "You said some of your charges are on this land?"

"Yes," Genie replied, looking relieved to leave the execution bit behind them, "My friends' children are all here, and I could sure use your help in getting them back."

"I will require your full explanation of their presence in order to judge whether or not that is possible," Daemon said, sitting gracefully and looking expectantly at the Genie.

Eugene sighed. He couldn't stand it anymore. So, before the Genie could continue, he stepped forward and addressed the creature himself.

"Ok, look," he said, "Now, from what I was able to understand, it's your job to protect whoever is occupying this castle. That's just fine; I don't much care about that. What I do care about is that my kids are being threatened by whoever that is, so if you could let us through so we can get our kids, we'll leave you in peace. Sound fair?"

"You speak out of turn, mortal," the canine replied, his snout wrinkling in what looked like distaste, "I understand you have some sense of urgency in this matter. Explain to me the purpose for your children's coming here, and perhaps I can help you."

There was silence on both sides as Daemon and the other dogs patiently waited while Eugene and the royals tried to think of a way to phrase it without setting the creatures off against the children. Finally, Daemon sighed with resignation and stood, turning away from them.

"They are here to kill Aega, aren't they Blue One?" he asked, his voice not betraying any emotion.

The tunnel was silent again for a few moments before the Genie gave his answer.

"Circe gave them her permission," he replied, sickened tone to his voice uncharacteristic to his usually jolly tone.

Daemon released another sigh and turned back to the party.

"Then I can do nothing against them," he replied, his eyes sad but resolved.

"So you'll let us through?" Eugene asked, stepping forward to stand beside the Genie and Vincent.

"I did not say that," Daemon replied, his voice strained, "I cannot act against the children, as they have the permission they need to go through me and my pups. One of us could be hurt or even killed, and that is not in our orders. But I cannot let you pass, as you do not have that permission and so do not stand a chance against us."

"Wait," Eugene said, trying to wrap his head around the craziness of the last statement, "You'll kill us because we don't have permission to kill Aega? Shouldn't that be the other way around?"

"We were placed by Aega's side to stop those who do not have permission from killing her," he said, "We cannot catch the trail of those with permission. It is not our place to fight them."

"Then how do you…" Eugene began, but he never finished as just then a whining reached their ears, followed swiftly by another dog turning the corner and barreling towards them.

Daemon glanced up sharply, and the dog came to a stop before him, bowing its head and meeting his eyes. Eugene took one look at the scratch and bite marks on the animal's hide before knowing exactly what had happened. And from Vincent's suddenly tight shoulders, he guessed that he wasn't the only one. The two dogs stared into each other's eyes for a few moments, and then their eyes began to glow brighter. After an illuminated moment, the eyes returned to their normal soft glow and Daemon made a gesture with his head that was clearly a dismissal.

"This is exactly what I was referring to," Daemon said, sounding somewhat angry, "These children do indeed have Circe's permission. That pup encountered them accidentally on his patrol and fought them, not knowing they were permitted. You must leave now."

"Wait," Eugene said desperately, "You can't just send us away. We're not here for Aega, we're here for the kids!"

Daemon turned and gave him a long, hard look. Finally, he blinked and began to speak again.

"I cannot allow you within the castle," he said, sounding tired, "If you remain outside, you can await the finality of the confrontation."

Vincent turned red and took a step forward.

"Do you really expect us to just sit and watch while our children fight for their lives?!" he said loudly, his tone more aggressive than anyone could think wise, "And you say you're not a monster?!"

The cavern went dead silent again. But, surprisingly, the beast didn't lunge to take Vincent's head off. Instead, its ears flicked back and its eyes fell. It looked saddened. Daemon took a silent step forward, leaning down to meet Vincent's eyes.

"The pain of being a parent," he said simply, and then he turned and walked down the tunnel.

The other dogs began to walk after him, and he allowed the wounded creature to lean on his shoulder as they left.

"Remain outside the castle," Daemon said over his shoulder warningly, and then they were gone.

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><p><strong>Here it is! I hope that the Sun Hounds don't seem thrown in, they were always intended as a part of the story and they play a big role in the story's finish. What do you guys think?<strong>


	36. Chapter 36

**Ok, so I figure that the beginning of the climax is as good a place as any to change this story's rating to T. There's a little more grit in this chapter than there was before, even with the wolves, and some more adult subject matter. So if you don't want to read something that could be disturbing, you should not read on. However, this is the beginning of a final duel with the big villain. If it wasn't disturbing I'd be ashamed of myself as a writer. **

**Still, oh yee of weak constitution or too young an age, yee have here been warned. **

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><p>Emile growled low in his throat, his hackles rose, and he sunk onto all fours instinctively. There, standing not five feet from him, was the witch who had cursed him, his family, the royals and the world at large. And there was Rhonwen, the first person beside his parents who had ever treated him with kindness by her own choice, only a foot from the witch and completely defenseless. His eyes widened as he realized that she couldn't move; she was frozen in fear and staring at the witch. Slowly, instinctively, he started to prowl forward towards Aega, his other friends and all strategy forgotten in favor of the scene before him. The logical part of his mind screamed <em>No! Stop and think of some kind of plan or try to talk the witch down! She can see you coming!<em> But that voice of reason had grown smaller, and now he found himself governed by the thudding of his heartbeat as adrenaline sped it and the defensive instincts screaming _Mine, stay away! Mine! Stay away!_

Before he even knew where he was, he had stepped sidelong in front of Rhonwen, who had moved a few steps back and was looking between him and her brother on the floor with growing alarm and fear. But her fear only heightened his aggression, and now he could truly say that he was the Beast, body and mind. Beasts protect their own, and he felt his back arch and his fur stand out, inflating his already massive size twofold in appearance. He adjusted his footing to face the witch head on, and his already snarling face creased even more angrily, a loud, low pitched growl reverberating through the chamber in the form of the only word he could remember at that moment.

"BACK!" he roared, and he could feel everyone jump around him.

Their nervousness, instead of warning him down out of rage as it usually did, pushed him to go further. The witch had not moved, and that was deeply unsatisfactory. And the growl that escaped his chest both terrified and thrilled him when all she did in response to his threat was smile, her dead eyes meeting his. Fueled by his rage and the tension of fear he could feel in the air around him, he took a bold step forward, his forepaw slamming down with echoing effect right in front of the witch's left foot, his claws scratching her shoe. He pushed his face closer to hers, growling intensely before barking out that last word again.

"BACK!" he bellowed, rearing onto his hind feet as he did so as to tower over her even more.

"I'll die now," the witch said calmly and quietly in response, looking him in the eye with a cold dead green stare.

Frustrated and infuriated, Emile felt his forepaw come up before he was aware of its purpose in doing so, and it was only after it began sinking quickly that he realized and accepted wholeheartedly that he was going to hit the witch. And it was then, during that moment of cold realization when reason was audible for the briefest of seconds, that he heard a voice that would haunt him the rest of his days.

"No, don't!" the voice screamed, pleading and terrified, "EMILE STOP!"

* * *

><p>Rhonwen couldn't breathe for the minutes after she run into Aega. Her brother was on the floor bleeding, the witch who'd put him there was standing right before her, and all she could do was stare. She felt keenly ashamed that she was so paralyzed, so lost to the fear that had taken her that she could not move, but no matter how many times she tried her body wouldn't budge. Her instincts had taken over and her body had reacted to the most severe conglomerations of fear she'd ever known. She was powerless, frozen like a dear when it first hears a twig snap.<p>

Then her body moved, but still not by her own will. Something more terrifying had come into view than the witch, which she hadn't believed possible until she saw it. A huge, angry, monstrous beast prowled in front of her, its size defying logic and its low, throaty growl clearly audible. And her legs scrambled back three steps, even as her mind recognized that this was no beast.

This was Emile. This was Emile as she'd never seen him before, huge and angry and threatening. This was what the beastly form truly was, and never had she seen anything more terrifying. But this was still Emile. This was the gentle man she loved, and the bold man who was now between her and the greatest danger either of them had ever known. She looked at the back of his head fearfully, seeing his ears flicked back aggressively, and then remembered her brother lying injured behind the witch and looked to him. He had moved, slightly. It looked like he was trying to pull himself away. She watched him in his weak scrabbling for a moment, and then her eyes flicked back to Emile.

His body had tightened and his fur sat on end wherever it was free. His back had arched and the long, mane like stripe of dark, almost black fur running down his spine spiked out like a fin on the back of a fish, his spindled tail held strait and high. She felt more than heard the fearful sound that erupted from him then, the word "back" echoing through the hallways to sound more like the cry of some fearsome animal than a human word. Her traitorous body jumped and began to tremble, but strangely enough her mind came alive again in this next level of fear.

She looked back to her brother again, who looked like he'd used all his strength to flee in vain and collapsed, a terrified expression clouding his face. When he met her eyes, the two knew immediately, as they always did, what the other was thinking. He was afraid for Emilia. She was afraid for Emile. Her eyes snapped back to Emile when she heard a loud, terrible clap before her.

She discovered that it was made by his paw slamming onto the marble floor in front on the witch's feet, and was currently rising, no swelling up, onto his hind feet menacingly, his fangs an inch from the witch's face and his eyes glaring with an inhuman rage into her dead stare. Rhonwen gaped as he bellowed again, louder this time, directly into the Aega's face. Her knees quivered and her stomach dropped at that sound, but the witch did not even flinch from the basest survival instinct. She just stared, cold and unaffected, and spoke in a quiet, almost pleased tone.

"I'll die now," she said, not even trying to move, just standing as still as a statue.

It was then that Rhonwen realized what was happening. She tasted bile in the back of her throat as she saw Emile's paw rise, his clawed digits spread and angled to cause the most damage. She knew what he was going to do, even before she realized it, as before his paw had reached its full height she was already running forward toward him, shoving survival instinct out the proverbial window. She couldn't let him do this!

But she saw it coming down before she could reach him and his growl rang in her ears as her voice tore its way from her throat.

"No, don't!" she croaked, her voice preparing to let loose the next phrase with all her desperation, "EMILE STOP!"

* * *

><p>Emile felt the contact of the witch's face on his pam the next instant, and suddenly the world had other shades beside red again. His logic snapped back into place as he watched Aega fall, almost as if she was in slow motion. She fit the marble floor with a resounding thud, blood dripping down the left side her face from the three long claw marks he'd left. He stared in horror as she moved, groaning, trying to push herself back up, the collapsed back onto the ground. Then something touched him from behind.<p>

Snarling in fear and surprise, he snapped around with his right hand/claws up to see Rhonwen standing behind him. Her large eyes were huge and round with fear, tears spilling from them freely, and he stared at her for a minute, equally horrified. Then he slowly, painfully, turned his gaze to his claws. They were still suspended there in the air, like they were frozen in time. He stared in shock as blood, human blood, dripped from the end on his claw on his right forefinger. Then something touched him again and he twitched back fearfully, though this time he saw what it was.

Rhonwen had stepped forward, reached out her tiny little hands, and taken that bloody, cursed claw into them, holding it tight. He twitched back and her grip tightened, not allowing him to pull his hand free. Then slowly, carefully, she pulled him forward again and touched his hand to her face, looking him in the eyes the entire time.

"Emile," she said softly, a pleading tone in the whisper that sent a shiver through him, "It's me. Emile, it's me. It's ok."

The thudding of his heart started to slow, and his eyes never left hers as he felt his fur lying back down slowly. She seemed so calm, despite the shaking of her hands on his finger. Her eyes were stability, sanity, and they seeped into his until they reflected the same. Finally, he was himself again. Both the raging and the fearful animals gone.

And with this dawning humanity returned, he suddenly remembered his actions when he had lost himself. His eyes brimmed with tears as he saw himself strike the witch down, and he looked to Rhonwen for stability again, his hand now the one shaking with fear.

"What have I done?"

* * *

><p>Rhonwen held fast to Emile's finger, even when he twitched away and she could feel his claw dig into her palm. She held on because she would not lose him to this creature, this beast. She would get him back, pull him back from that door to insanity before it was too late, or she'd die trying. She could hear the others scrambling around behind her, someone coming up behind her and some others running in the direction of her brother, but she kept her eyes on Emile. If she let go of those eyes now, she was sure that she'd lose him. Gradually, the animal fear that had taken control on his face lessened, and she found herself face to face with the man she knew. He was distraught, confused, but this was Emile. The horror in his voice sickened her as he glanced around, then looked back to her with tears in his eyes and spoke.<p>

"What have I done?" he asked, his voice quivering.

She didn't know how to answer, so she stroked his finger, trying to comfort him however she could. Luckily, one of the others answered for her in the unmistakable tones of Ahmed. She'd never thought she could be happy to hear that voice, but today seemed to be the day for never to happen.

"You did nothing more than that bitch deserved," Ahmed said coldly, coming up behind Rhonwen rather hesitantly, though he tried to hide it with a confident stance.

Emile looked over to Ahmed bleakly, and Rhonwen was sure it was safe now to look away. She glanced behind Emile where the witch had fallen, and tensed when she realized what she saw. Aega was not dead!

* * *

><p>Emile felt Rhonwen tense and swirled, placing himself between her and whatever danger there was where she was looking. Then his eyes widened in shock as he saw what she did. Aega was not dead. She was alive, she was moving, she was…she was sitting up. His ears flicked back and he struggled to contain himself even as his heartbeat rose. He would not be an animal. He was a man. And he would act like a man.<p>

He heard Ahmed draw his sword over his left shoulder and shout something of a warning to the others, but all he could pay attention to was Aega as she lurched back up into a sitting position and rocked her head up to meet his eyes. He heard Rhonwen gasp behind him, and he would have done the same if the gasp and the gag reflex had not canceled each other out. Aega's face was torn from the temple down to the chin with three deep, almost vertical gashes, the central cut exposing the white of teeth where it had pierced through her cheek. Emile felt the bile rise to his throat as he looked from the cut to the woman's chilling eyes.

They were unchanged. Her eyes had no pleading, no suffering, nothing but cold, stony emerald. She breathed deeply once and Emile jolted back, putting his right arm out behind him to protect Rhonwen. But Aega did not attack. She just sat there, staring at them all, sitting gracefully on her knees with a patient expression, as if she was waiting for something. After a moment, when nobody had moved, she blinked once and spoke, the blood dripping from her cheek as it moved.

"I will die now," she stated, that same quiet, unaffected voice that she'd spoken with before he struck her.

Emile didn't know what to think or say to that. He simply stood where he was, staring. The rest did the same, or at least he thought they did, because he heard no movement. But apparently he was wrong, because just as he was beginning to think that they would remain locked in this freakish, statuesque silence forever, a small voice over his right shoulder proved him wrong.

"No, you won't," it said, and Emile recognized Rhonwen's voice with both horror and awe.

* * *

><p>"No, you won't," Rhonwen said, her voice soft and small, but hard, "We won't kill you."<p>

There was a great moment of silence then. She had guessed before Emile hit her that this was what was happening, and now Aega confirmed it herself. Aega was not trying to lure them here to kill _them_ at all. Rhonwen didn't understand why, but that didn't matter. They were not going to be used for something so…so terrible. She would not allow it.

"We. Will. Not. Kill. You," she said, this time louder and with more confidence, "We are not tools. We will not be used, not by Circe and not by you. Go now."

With that, she turned her back on the witch, walking swiftly but deliberately towards her brother, who the others had crowded around and were trying to help. She knelt beside him, not paying any attention to the witch behind her in her confidence that all those around her were, and unwrapped her hair swiftly. Rufus looked up at her with brown eyes clouded over with a bad head injury. His face was questioning and pained, but he no longer had the strength even to lift his head. Rhonwen wrapped her hair around his head and stroked his cheek gently while she sang the song in a soft tone. As her hair glowed, she saw the life come back to his eyes and felt his hand, strong and firm, grasp her upper arm.

"Rhoni?" he asked, his face now concerned but his voice still weak, "Are you insane? What are you doing?"

Rhonwen smiled and kissed his forehead, her happiness at his recovery almost untouched by the tension vibrating almost audibly through the air as every eye but hers was trained on the witch, watching for her next move. Her brother was alive and well. Now she could face this without weakness.

Slowly, she grasped the back of Rufus' hand and pulled it from her arm. She smiled once more at him, taking in the sight of his healed head, then she stood slowly and turned back to Aega, trying not to show the dread she felt on her face.

* * *

><p>Emile was terrified. He was terrified by the witch, sitting unnaturally still as her eyes alone followed Rhonwen's movements. Terrified that she would spring up at any moment and start throwing spells around like hunting knives. Terrified that he wouldn't be fast enough to save any of his friends from hurt. But most of all, Emile was terrified by the courage that Rhonwen had just verbally thrown out onto the witch's lap.<p>

Emile knew that Rhonwen was strong, smart, and wanted the best for everyone, but he had never seen the determination in her eyes that he saw when she made that statement.

"We. Will. Not. Kill. You."

Now she was kneeling, her back to Aega, and healing her brother. All he could do was gape at the witch and Rhonwen in turn. Aega's face did not change. Her eyes were the only tell that what Rhonwen had said hit true at all, but her eyes were all that was needed. There was a desperation, a longing in those eyes that couldn't de described, but also something else, something horrible. The deepest despair that Emile had ever seen was laid bare when those few, small words came from that one, small girl. Suddenly, he realized what was going on and his eyes widened. What had he done?!

Rhonwen stood and turned back around, and Emile flicked an ear toward her, not trusting the witch to stay still now that Rhonwen faced her once more. But Aega stayed unnaturally motionless, just staring into Rhonwen's eyes with her dead, passionless stare. Then she made everyone in the room shudder by speaking, softly and with a deliberate voice.

"What must I do?" she asked, her face finally changing to look searching, "What must I do, that my crimes would be worthy of death?"

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><p><strong>There it is. More to come soon, with spring break I have a little more free time. Let me know what you think all, the conclusion is close at hand!<strong>


	37. Chapter 37

**Here's Aega's story, finally we know her motivation in doing what she'd done. Coming to the finale now, glad I still have you guys along for the ride. This chapter's longer, couldn't be helped. Enjoy**

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><p>Rhonwen gaped, horrified by what she'd just heard. She was right, she'd known exactly what was going on, but some part of her deep down had still hoped that she was wrong. That part of her sunk into the deepest pit she'd even known and she felt as if she'd been punched in the stomach. Emile put voice to the feelings that she could not, which sunk her stomach even more as she realized without a doubt that these emotions were shared.<p>

"Why?" he ask quietly, his voice sounding almost pleading, "Why go through all this?"

Rhonwen looked up, her large eyes watering as she took in Aega again. She was conflicted. One part of her, the cold and calculating part that she'd so recently become aware of, felt like she should be ashamed of her pity. This woman had cause hundreds of people suffering, both directly and indirectly. She ruined lives. She hurt Emile. She didn't deserve pity.

But the rest of her was stronger. She had been raised to think of motivations, to think of another person's side of an argument so as to better understand it. She would have to be a politician after all, since she was born a princess. And she had a naturally large heart. Caring for others had always been a part of her, something she was born with. She couldn't understand what could drive a woman to the extremes that Aega had gone to, but she realized that she couldn't hate this person either. This woman was unsound, injured, and had nothing in the world but the hatred she'd given herself. Something terrible, beyond her imagination, had to have driven her here.

Rhonwen felt herself begin to shake, though whether it was from her emotions or the adrenaline in her system, she couldn't tell. She tried to breathe, to focus on the things around her. She glanced from face to face and found that they weren't any help. Each was in its own state of confusion or disbelief. She felt, rather than saw, her twin brother coming up behind her and looked at him over her shoulder. There were tears in his eyes to match her own, and he walked over swiftly, taking her arm.

She looked back around and found that her eyes rested on Emile. Half of the group hadn't understood what was happening here yet, she could tell by their confused expressions. A few had gotten it and were staring in open shock, disgust present in some as well as they realized how they'd been used. But Emile. Emile looked ready to explode. His fur was standing up again, but this wasn't the beast she'd seen a few minutes ago. She could still see the logic in his eyes amid the anger. Knowing that he needed help, she pushed herself away from her brother and ran the two steps forward to Emile, wrapping her arms around his right upper arm. He twitched slightly at the contact, but it was gentle and careful, just as he'd always been.

"Emile?" she said cautiously, trying to meet his eyes.

At the sound of her voice, Emile's eyes shut tight and he pulled away from her, taking a step toward the witch. Rhonwen thought he lost it again and prepared herself to stop him, but his roar was fully controlled. Which made it much more frightening than the almost-animal sound had been in some ways.

"IF YOU HAD WANTED TO KILL YOURSELF," he bellowed agonizingly, "YOU COULD AT LEAST HAVE HAD THE GRACE TO DO IT YOURSELF! WHY BRING US INTO THIS?!"

Rhonwen swallowed as comprehension dawned on the few who hadn't gotten it yet, and their faces shifted to match the others. She cringed as a few stepped back from Emile, terrified by his outburst and afraid he'd lose himself again. But Rhonwen stayed where she was, a step away from Emile's arm. She had to be here for him, had to stop him if he started to turn away again.

A few moments passed and the witch did not move or speak. Rhonwen could feel the tension building, could see Emile's fur standing higher with each moment. But when he roared again, it took everyone by surprise with its thundering volume.

"WHHYYYY!" he bellowed louder than she'd ever heard, making everyone in the room jump again, including himself.

The room was silent again, but this time Rhonwen felt a different kind of tension in the air. Emile sagged after that last roar, his fur going limp and his face anguished. Rhonwen stepped forward and grabbed his arm as he sank down to stabilize himself with his hands on the stone floor.

"Why did you make me do this?" he asked quietly, sounding like he was talking to himself more than anyone, and Rhonwen saw the tears flowing freely into his cheek fur.

Silence greeted them once more, and Rhonwen pressed herself against Emile, trying to comfort the guilt she knew he was feeling. This wasn't his fault, this was Aega. This was a sick woman who provoked the worst in everyone simply by being. The cold side of her gained some strength at seeing Emile in this kind of pain. Hadn't he suffered enough? Hadn't they all had their fair share by now? What gave her the right to cause them this pain? She turned her face away from Aega and pressed it against Emile's fur. Rhonwen was certain she wouldn't answer, but just when she thought that Aega had been struck mute by spite, her voice startled the room again.

"You should know better than anyone," she said simply.

* * *

><p>Emile's entire body felt like it was on fire with guilt. He'd nearly killed a woman. Had she been any ordinary woman, he knew he would have killed her with that blow. He had lost control and all his worst nightmares were staring him in the face with those dead green eyes. It didn't matter to him if this person was innocent or guilty, it wasn't his to decide if she deserved life or death. He had allowed himself to be manipulated into doing something terrible, something <em>beastly<em>, and he knew he'd never be able to see himself the same way again.

This woman refused to answer his question. He'd begged her, pleaded to know why she would do this to him, why she would ruin him this way. And now she was silent, ignoring him. He didn't matter to her, and never would. Hid questions, his curse, the fact that she'd just tried to make him do something horrendous, or the fact that he almost did. Nothing mattered to her at all.

"WHHYYYY!" he screamed, letting everything in him pour out in that one simple word.

Then, having used the last of his emotional energy, Emile sank to the ground. As he reached out his hands to catch himself, he felt Rhonwen grab his arm, and looked down at the floor, not able to stand those passionless eyes any longer. He felt Rhonwen squeeze his arm, holding him as tightly as she could. He didn't dare look back at her, though he could tell by the way she pulled at him that she wanted him to. Shaking now, and with barely any control left, he muttered the question he really wanted an answer to.

"Why did you make me do this?" he mumbled, his words shaking as he silently sobbed.

He felt Rhonwen's face press into his fur and closed his eyes. Everything was silent. He'd known that she wouldn't answer, why should she? They didn't matter to her any more than insects, so what worth had their questions or torments? But then the silence was broken, and he started up in surprise.

"You should know better than anyone," Aega said simply, and Emile noted with some alarm that she moved as she did.

Aega pulled herself up to sit on her heels, smoothing her dress over her knees absently. She seemed unsteady, which Emile noted with disgust once more for his actions. But she was ever graceful, and when she looked up there was something more in her facial expression than bland detachment. Strangely enough, there wasn't hatred. It was more of an understanding, an evaluating look that seemed to see right through him. Emile shuddered.

"What do you mean?" he asked, his face and tone hardening slightly.

"You know what it is to be cursed," Aega answered.

The room sat in silence for a few moments longer, but it was a terrified silence now. Aega was not sitting still as a statue anymore. No, now she was rocking back and forth and humming what sounded disturbingly like a Greek lullaby, her face smiling where it still could and her arms holding around her ribs, as if she was trying to comfort herself. His friends were tense around him, and Emile could feel Rhonwen's little hands gripping his fur like a security blanket. Somehow, even this simple motion was terrifying coming from Aega. She radiated insanity unlike anything he'd ever seen.

"What did you look forward to most in life when you were a child, Emile?" Aega asked, now sounding politely curious, at odds with her surroundings entirely.

Emile's eyebrows furrowed and he just stared at the witch. This time, she didn't seem to require a prompt to keep going.

"You weren't like other little children," she said on, tone almost fond, "You were different. While your friends here were all looking forward to their next birthday party or to becoming kings or queens, wives or husbands, what were you wanting? You, more than anything, wanted to be free."

She paused there and looked into his eyes with conviction. Then she continued, as if she'd seen what she needed to see.

"You wanted to have a normal life," she said, now sounding curt, "You wanted friends. You wanted family who didn't look at you like you were some kind of monster, or worse, something too fragile to touch. You were a child with a curse, and nobody could touch you, or you might break."

Emile felt his breath catch in his throat. Aega didn't even pause this time, she just kept going.

"I was that child, you know," she said, her eye's getting a distant look, "I was cursed. I didn't know it yet, of course, but I was different. I was a porcelain doll, a plaything too fragile to be really attached to. And when Circe grew tired of playing with me, I was nothing at all.

She'll have told you that she was protecting me, that she wanted only the best, but the truth is that I belonged to her. I was made to be her company when she was lonely, not her child when I was. I was alone on that island for a century. She would show me things, teach me magic when she wanted to play at being the wise mother. Then she'd leave and say I was too thick for her efforts if I made the slightest mistake.

So I figured out how to learn for myself, took what I needed to survive, and used a transportation spell I'd seen her use before. I ended up exactly where she had gone, and knew that she'd track me there. So I ran. I ran for two days. Then I realized that she wasn't chasing me. I was curious about what was going on, if my absence had her worried, so I looked through the mirror to see if I'd hurt her too terribly. She was happily walking around the garden. She didn't even notice that I was missing, I know because the note I'd left on my table in my chamber was undisturbed when I checked it. After that, I lost some of my hope. Circe was not coming for me, and I certainly wasn't going back to her. But I was alone in a strange world that I had no idea how to handle. I wandered into the woods, trying to find a cave or a berry bush. Instead something found me.

She seemed so kind, at first. Maleficent was everything I'd always dreamed of in a friend or a mother. She taught me things, showed me what money was and how I could use it. And she taught me that nothing was for free, that every action has a purpose and that nobody does something for nothing. She said she would show me more, but first she'd need something from me in return. I offered my services for a decade, and she accepted them easily. I didn't mind going with her everywhere, even when it was dangerous. Because even when she was cruel, Maleficent knew I was there. My mother came looking for me after three years, but by that time I'd grown to love Maleficent so much that I refused her offer to go home. That ship had sailed, or so I thought.

After my decade was over, I offered to stay for another, but Maleficent refused. She said it was the way of a fey never to accept the same payment twice for a favor. I was lost without her then, not as badly as when I'd first arrived but lost all the same. I stayed in a little mortal village, making my living as a fortune teller. It was there that I was found again, and in my desperation I dived into the person who found me. His name was Hogarth, and I loved him. I clung to him when he came by, showing off how skilled he was with the hunting bows he made and sold. I clung to him when he asked me to marry him, saying our businesses could help each other. I clung to him when he sucked my business dry with his frivolities and traveling. Yes, I even clung to him when he had a bastard son in France, who he would send money to support and sometimes even travel to see.

I was impregnated by him and I bore the child. She was a beautiful child, with her father's black hair and blue eyes. Her father named her Gothel, a name from his family, and I accepted it readily. I thought that now, now I had a family. There was a husband and a child that belonged to me, even if he did wander. But I should have known you can't trust anyone, not even your blood."

She paused for a moment and Emile blinked. Nobody had moved through her story, how could they? She was telling exactly what he had wanted to know, but now he wished more than anything that she would stop.

"He left me," she sobbed out at last, her chest shaking as she forced herself onward, "He went to his other child in France, because it was a boy and the other had been more interesting than I was. She was the forbidden fruit, and I was the wife. I broke that day, broke into a thousand pieces that could never be fixed. I was angry. So, I called an old friend to come to my aid. Maleficent came when I summoned her, and I was overjoyed that she would still care enough about me to do so. I asked her what I should do about my anger, and she said I should do nothing. She would give him back what he had given me, that I would only need to settle the payment with her first. I told her that she could have my knife, which I'd taken from my mother's set. She said she would take that and my daughter for five years as she'd had me for ten, which I accepted. She made it sound so generous, saying she could take her for ten. Then she left.

The next day I found a newsletter from France on my front doorstep that described a brutal, savage killing committed by a mysterious felon with a knife. The victim's description matched Hogarth perfectly, down to the cleft on his chin. At the bottom was a message in luminescent black ink, in perfect lettering, saying, 'Five years.'

I cried for weeks after that, knowing that I had sentenced the man I loved more than anything to death but unable to take back my actions. I couldn't even bring myself to blame Maleficent. She only did what fey do; she fulfilled her bargain in the worst possible way. I was to blame. I should have known better."

Her sobs overtook her for a moment, and Emile felt he strangest urge to go over and comfort her. She was utterly pathetic, all her grace now channeled into remaining seated. After a few moments she continued again, and Emile's heart rent for her even further, as her changing moods only made her insanity more apparent.

"She was good to her word, as always," she said, a lighter, almost happy tone coming to her voice and her sobs stopping instantly, as if by the flip of a switch, "She brought my daughter back after five years. She'd grown, and was terribly beautiful a child. And she knew it, too. She'd done Maleficent's bidding, as I had, but she was a child and so much more moldable. She'd done something to earn back the knife from the fey, and I dared not ask her what it was. I couldn't touch it, knowing what it had done. My Gothel saw this and would sometimes show it to me when she wanted her way. But I convinced myself after a while that I didn't care. I was just grateful to have my little child back. But she didn't stay little for long.

In a decade she was almost as tall as I was, with flowing curls and a dangerously flirtatious demeanor. Not that I wouldn't want her around men, no, my little girl could do anything and everything she wanted, but she was not one to fall in love. She'd learned to use, to own, from Maleficent and it was a lesson she never forgot. Before I knew it, she owned me as much as any of the men she led on.

When I realized this, there was nothing I could do. I didn't know how to do anything else, so I let myself be owned. My little girl was so pretty, so dear. I knew that she at least cared about me, because whenever I told her I loved her, she said she loved me more. But my little girl grew when I did not, and so we had to move from village to village. Eventually it was I saying that she was my mother, and not the other way around. She started to have problems with her breathing when she got to seventy-three, and I panicked. I couldn't beg another favor of Maleficent, I knew what the last favor had caused, so I did something I thought I'd never do. I returned to Circe.

She chastised me for not returning home, and for the first time in a long while I felt like the younger party again. It was comforting, in a way. I begged her to help her granddaughter, trying to buy her assistance any way I could. Apparently my suffering was payment enough for her, because she gave me a Sun Lily from her garden and told me she would be content never to see me again. I obliged her."

The bitterness in her tone when she spoke of her mother was like a stab in the heart to Emile. He thought of his own mother, who taught him to read and comforted him when he'd fallen ill, and almost became ill on the spot. How could a person become so twisted, that the one who'd brought them into the world could become an object of hatred? And what monster was Circe that she could bring that hate on herself? Emile closed his eyes and his ears flipped back, not wanting to hear any more. But Aega kept talking mercilessly.

"I realize now that I should have let her die when it was her time," Aega said, her tone getting flat, "My little girl, my Gothel, grew more domineering and assertive every day. She had many affairs, all of which ended badly for the man when she moved to the next. More than anything she reminded me of her father, and I loved her for that just as I'd loved him. But one day the flower was taken. I used the mirror to find where the flower had gone, but instead of a lily it showed the face of a newborn baby. Gothel asked the mirror where the child was and it showed the nursery of the royal palace. Then she left, saying she'd be back with answers.

I waited for hours before she finally returned. She had the baby with her when she did, and for a moment I was horrified. But then she handed me the child and told me to take care of it until it was old enough that it didn't need more than the attention she could give it. It was so rewarding to have a baby to care for again that I forgot that another mother did not when she should have. After all, that woman was mortal and would die quickly, but this was a Sun Child. As long as her hair was uncut, she could live forever. She would be another of us, keeping Gothel alive and becoming my granddaughter, something I'd always dreamed of."

Emile felt the little hands tighten on his fur and lifted his hand to cover them. Aega didn't even act like she knew who the baby was to Rhonwen, but both she and Emile knew she did. She'd have kept track of whose child was whose. He squeezed her hands lightly to comfort her as the story went on, knowing the next part would be hard for her to hear.

"When the child was three, Gothel took her back and said that she must be kept away from everyone but herself until her parents and the rest of the kingdom had stopped looking for her, probably two generations or so. I felt her loss keenly, but I knew that my daughter loved the child too, in her way. She would never have been so possessive of something she didn't love, after all. The child grew my daughter grew closer to her, sometimes visiting me to tell me how they fared. I lived modestly by myself, yearning for the day when two generations had passed and we could be a family again. But that never came, did it?"

At this, Aega's eyes shifted from Emile to Rhonwen, their expression sad and bitter. Emile's hackles rose a little. He didn't like her looking at Rhonwen, not when he could almost smell her insanity. But it was only a glance, and her eyes returned to him with a small smile, her voice detached.

"You know the rest of that story," she said simply, "I won't bore you with those details, but I will say that I broke my word and returned to Circe again. She'd helped before, after all. But she turned me away, saying that it was well past time for the 'bitter little seed' to die. I'd know that for years, of course I had known that, but my Gothel was my purpose in life. I needed my little girl. So I summoned Maleficent. She said she would help me, in returned for me giving her my granddaughter for twenty years."

Rhonwen gasped and Aega looked over to her again, smiling slightly in a detached sort of way, like one observing a curious bird. Emile almost growled, but she didn't pause for long.

"I made the deal, telling her she'd have to take the girl from the palace," she continued, "Maleficent said she'd return within a five days, that there was something she needed to handle involving a slight years ago. I waited those five days, each day becoming heavier. When the sixth day came without her arrival, I knew she was gone. She was a fey, after all, they cannot disobey their word or they die. So all my hopes of ever having my little girl or my granddaughter returned to me were gone. I was alone again."

Emile could feel Rhonwen chest heaving silently as she cried silently, and felt an ache in his own heart that dug deep. Somehow, he knew what was coming next.

"That was the day I tried to 'kill myself', as you say," she said, moving suddenly to pull a long, silver blade from the back of her corset and smiling as a few of the others raised their swords, "I used my daughter's knife that she'd won back from Maleficent, the knife that one of them had used to kill my husband, and I slit my own throat. However, just when I thought I was finally free, the cruel fates had to assert their control once more. The Sun Hounds came out of their hiding. I had never seen them before, so I hadn't known that they'd been following me all along. Maleficent had probably known, but she never told me. Probably thought I would panic and try to run away before my service was up. Anyway, their damnable captain, Daemon, touched his nose to my throat seconds after I cut it and it was healed. If I were to repeat the action now, he would repeat his, just as we did then. It is his sworn duty to make sure that no one without permission should kill me. When he told me this, I went to Circe and asked her permission, which she refused me, saying it served me right to live on when I'd lost everything and that ungrateful children should expect no better."

She grew silent and the room followed her example. Nobody spoke or moved, all just stared at the witch with her grotesque injury and dead eyes, her beauty now seeming a mockery of her very existence. She was like an apple rotted at the core. Finally Aega spoke again, looking around the room as if surveying for volunteers.

"So, now that you know why, as you so eloquently put it," she said, her voice all detached sarcasm now, "Will one of you do the job you came here for? Or do you need further motivation?"

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading, the last chapters are at hand.<strong>


	38. Chapter 38

**We're coming in for the big finale here. This had been a hard section for me to write as I've been trying to keep my characters real in the face of adversity. I hope these last two chapters to come, as well as this one, live up to the story before them, and that the ending will leave you satisfied. Be sure to let me know!**

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><p>As Aega spoke, Rhonwen's mind swirled. This was nothing like she thought it was going to be. They'd found Aega and it was possible for them to stop her, permanently, from causing anyone harm. Yet the longer she went on, the more Rhonwen realized that she couldn't do it. She'd been kidding herself all along, she couldn't have done it if Aega was the incarnation of evil that she had imagined. But to find that she was nothing more than a woman, a human being who'd been abused and forgotten by everyone she'd loved.<p>

Along the journey, Rhonwen had always imagined two things when they met Aega. The first was going into the fire with her friends by her side, daring and courageous, ready for any danger together. The other was how things would be after the fight was over. How maybe Emile's curse would be lifted and he would be human in body as well as mind. How there would be weddings to attend, as all the friends she had were getting married now. How maybe, when this was over and she could focus on it a little more, maybe there would even be something like that in store for her. Maybe even with Emile, since everything was perfect in daydreams and one person can't fall in love while the other doesn't.

She'd never imagined the in between, Rhonwen suddenly realized this. She'd been so caught up in before and after that she'd never even tried to think of what would have to be done about the fight. So really, this wasn't what she thought it would be because she'd never let herself think about it. What had she expected it to be? That it would be simple to end the life of another human being?

By the time Aega finished, she had absolutely no idea what to say or do. Here they were, three feet away from a powerful enchantress who was visibly mentally unsound, and all she could do was crouch with her hands balled up in Emile's fur and watch as Aega completed her story.

"So, now that you know why, as you so eloquently put it," she said, her voice changing like the wind again, "Will one of you do the job you came here for? Or do you need further motivation?"

She could feel Emile's breathing as the room was silent while its occupants thought of their next move. Rhonwen reached for straws within her mind, but there was nothing she could think to say or do that would alter the path Aega had set for them. How did one reason with a centuries old lunatic bent of self-destruction? She looked at Emile, hoping that he would have some sort of idea as he always did when she couldn't think of something, and her heart fell when she saw his face.

His fur was still damp on his face from his tears and his eyes were downcast, looking at the floor. His ears were back and his head was low. Rhonwen could see the pain in his very being. She pulled slightly at his fur to get his attention and his large head swiveled tiredly in her direction. His dark blue eyes stared at her with a sadness that didn't fit them. She could see horror on his features, horror and shame, and she pulled herself closer her him, holding his arm tighter. What were they going to do? Neither of them had that answer.

"Is that it then?" a voice from behind her asked suddenly, and Rhonwen jolted with recognition as she turned to her brother, "You think that telling us your sad story is going to change the choices we make?"

Aega hissed, literally hissed at Rufus as he drew closer, laying his hand on her shoulder and stepping in front of her fluidly. Then she spat a few words in his direction.

"_You?!_" she said, her wound and her accent making her difficult to understand as her face tightened with a manic rage, "_You who I left for dead? Who I watched bleed onto his own floor? You tell me that you will not do what needs to be done? Ilitheos!"_

Rhonwen grabbed Rufus' sleeve, trying to pull him back from the furious Aega as the woman got to her feet and began to seethe with a violent energy. But Rufus stood his ground, his brown eyes glaring as she spoke while she stood, waiting for her to finish. Then he spoke again, his tone unchanged despite the fact that Rhonwen could feel his pulse pounding at his wrist.

"You insult me," he said, sounding like the king he would one day be, "Yes, you injured me. And you did nothing to help me while I lay there in pain. But do not assume that your actions can place me in the same class as you. I am Rufus, Prince of Corona, and Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Ringdorn. I am bound to my people to rule as I think wise. I will not be manipulated. I am no executioner. And _we will not be used by you._"

Rhonwen stared up at her brother, her eyes wide. Was this the same boy that had rolled a wooden carriage full of roman candles across the floor when their parents were in a conference? But before she'd even had the chance to take this new person into account, a strange light began to emit from Aega, drawing her eyes back to her. It was pale and green, like a fire glowing around her. Her face, now half beauty and half hideous injury, was lit with the sickly green glow and Aega began to float as the green fire pushed her upwards. Rhonwen's entire body stiffened again, her fists tightened around Emile's fur until her knuckles went white, and she was terrified to find that once again she could not move. She could hear Rufus draw his sword and some footsteps as the others prepared themselves. But when Aega's arms spread, the fire flaring out around her like a cape, Emile moved suddenly and she found herself off balance, her hands grasping a few strands of fur that he'd left behind in his haste. She looked up and he was standing in front of her brother, who looked unsure being so close to him, physically placing himself between the witch and the rest of the room. Emile didn't even seem to notice Rufus' uncertainty; his fur stood on end and his fingers were curved into animalistic claws, but he stood on two feet and held himself with a very human dignity as he roared.

"HE IS RIGHT!" he screamed with deafening volume, "WE WILL NOT KILL YOU A YOU WISH US TO! BUT WE WON'T IDLY STAND AND BE KILLED EITHER! YOU WILL NOT HARM ANYONE HERE! LEAVE NOW, OR FACE ME!"

Aega laughed insanely, and the horrible sound echoed through the halls. The fire pushed her into the air further and Emile roared loudly. Rhonwen jumped to her feet, drawing the golden knife from where she had it tied to her waist. She couldn't picture herself killing Aega, but she definitely couldn't run from this fight. She looked back to the others and saw Augustine right behind her, jaw clenched and sword in ready position. Ahmed and Akram stood with their swords high, side by side, while their brothers formed behind them. Edward looked like he was right where he belonged for the first time that Rhonwen had seen. He had a hard smile set on his features and a ready guard position that suggested experience in combat. She looked back forward to see Rufus braced for the fight and Emile before them all, roaring terrifyingly as the witch began laughing even harder. And she knew. They were ready.

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><p>Emile roared with everything in him, his heart sucking into a coldness he'd never known. He could do one thing well, and that was terrifying things. Animals ran away from him because they considered him a predator. Human beings did the same. And if that was what he had to do to end this, then he would terrify. He would frighten Aega the way he did everyone else. But the louder he roared the louder Aega laughed, and it wasn't long before he realized that roaring alone wouldn't work. Aega had been around hundreds of years and probably seen things ten times worse than him. She <em>made<em> him this way; of course he couldn't scare her. But he continued to roar, reluctant to move beyond that to the unavoidable outcome.

He could lose himself again, lose control and do something terrible. So he roared. He roared in anger and in sorrow. Because he knew that these few seconds were the last that he would have before the fight moved itself along and he had no choice.

His ears were flicked back and he could hear Rhonwen stand, drawing the magic blade. Good, at least she wasn't paralyzed anymore. At least she'd be able to run if he did lose control. The others were forming up, he could hear their footsteps and swords moving in the air. Aega had risen into the air, floating on the unearthly green flame that she'd produced. Her eyes were manic as her laughter. Then there was a moment of silence when she breathed. The silence before the storm.

Emile's fur stood on end when a loud snap sounded from above them. Aega laughed and began swirling her knife-hand in the air, where a dark inky cloud began to appear. He snarled as he heard her rasp out painfully loudly, as she seemed to have lost the ability to scream but tried nonetheless.

"_So that's the way you want it, then?_"she screeched, the untouched half of her face grinning wildly, "_Had we done this my way, you would all have lived! What need have I for more blood?! I've seen every shade! But you need a fight, don't you?! Can't just do what has to be done quietly, everything has to be a fight! Fine then! I'll make it a challenge for you!"_

Another snap sounded, but this time Emile saw what it was. A bolt of lightning flew from the cloud and hit the ground before him, missing by barely an inch.

"Retreat!" he heard someone yell, and he wasn't about to question them.

Emile turned and ran sideways, never losing sight of Aega fully but taking glances to check his friends. Lightning bolts blasted everywhere and he could feel the ions in the air. Rhonwen's brother had taken hold of her and pushed them both behind a column for some degree of shelter. The others were doing the same, running here and there and yelling when a lightning bolt got too close. Augustine and Edward were on the far side of the room, pressed behind another pillar. The four brothers were running together, still in a circle but looser now to allow movement. And as Emile glanced at them, the thing he'd feared from the start happened before his eyes. He couldn't protect them.

A lightning bolt met with Akram's chest and he flew out of formation with the others, hitting the wall to the right. Ahmed took one look at his younger brother and his face went pale, his fist tightening to white-knuckle his sword handle. The others quickly ran toward Akram, taking his arms and pulling him behind the pillar beside him. But Ahmed screamed and turned, running the opposite direction of sanity. He leaped like an acrobat toward Aega, his sword bearing down.

Emile turned on his heel and ran to try and intercept the blow that he knew was coming. But he was too late. As he watched, Aega brought up her silver blade through his abdomen, piercing his heart. Ahmed's eyes shot open and he made a terrible gurgling sound, a spasm shaking his body. His body went slack and the sword clattered to the floor. Then Emile was on them.

He roared as he leapt, throwing his weight against Aega with his shoulder and tossing them all to the ground ungracefully. He rolled on the ground, putting out the green flame that had caught on his shoulder. Aega swiveled and brought up her knife-hand, but seemed surprised when she found it empty. Ahmed lay a few feet away, the knife still in him, and its silver handle just visible, jutting sickly from under his ribcage where it was lodged. Aega moved to retrieve it, but Emile was faster, throwing himself between her and Ahmed and snarling viciously. She backed away instinctively, then began to laugh quietly, her face looking very pleased.

"Look at you," she said in a confidential tone that couldn't have been heard by anyone but him, "Look at the Beast. You don't want me around your friends? Fine then."

With that, she rose again on her flame and shot across the room, shooting a blast of green flames before her to open the large doors. Emile turned back to look at Ahmed, guilt overwhelming him for a minute as he saw a large pool of blood already surrounding him. Too much blood for anyone to survive losing. Then his grief turned to rage and he roared, tearing off after Aega at full speed.

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><p>Rhonwen screamed when she saw the first lightning bolt hit, terrified that it had struck Emile. But it hadn't, and when her brother shouted the retreat he spun and ran as quickly and chaotically as any of them. She'd almost run after him, but strong hands had grabbed her by the shoulders and almost thrown her behind the nearest pillar. Her brother dove after her, putting himself over her physically. She could hear running and screaming all around her, and with some difficulty she managed to turn around, despite her brother's best efforts to keep her down where she was safer, and look out at what was happening.<p>

Aega was throwing lightning like knifes, bolts flying here and there and striking where they pleased. Rhonwen watched with terrified eyes as she directed them, a frenzied smile on her half face. Somehow even now, after finding out everything that had led to Aega being this way, her insanity defied reason.

Rhonwen saw that she and her brother were not in danger from the bolts now, as they all originated from the small cloud that had formed above Aega. She pushed herself up a little more, despite the protests she heard from her brother. Edward and Augustine had just gotten to shelter themselves, so the only ones left exposed were the brothers and Emile. Her eyes trained on Emile as she saw him run, pleading with any powers that be that he would make it to shelter. She missed the moment when it happened, seeing only the after results.

She heard another crack of lightning and her eyes caught movement to the left of Emile, where they swiftly looked. It was Akram. She caught sight of him just as he hit the wall opposite a pillar, three feet of the ground and the front of his shirt charred black. Her hand shot to her mouth as he crumpled to the floor, tears welling to her eyes. Then she heard a scream and a roar and her eyes were drawn to that.

She saw three things, each equally alarming. The first was a large amount of blood, pooling around a limp form that she recognized as Ahmed. There was a silver handle just visible at the base of his ribs, jutting out of him at an angle that suggested the blade had been shoved upwards to stab his heart. He didn't move and the blood kept pooling, spreading over the white marble like a sick red carpet.

The next was Aega, swirling viciously and finding her hand empty, then turning towards Ahmed with purpose. Rhonwen tried to run out but Rufus held her down, saying into her ear that she couldn't do anything if she died, better to wait for a chance.

The final was Emile. He tore into view, throwing himself in front of Ahmed and snarling like a rabid creature, his fur bristling and his eye wild. Rhonwen saw Aega's mouth move, but she couldn't hear what she was saying. Then Aega lifted into the air on her green flames again and shot like a cannonball out of the room, laughing all the while. Emile took one look back at Ahmed, his face twisted, and he roared, tearing out after the witch furiously.

Rufus' grip loosened and Rhonwen ran towards Ahmed, falling to her knees beside him. His eyes were still open but the irises were slack; he was dead. Restraining her panic, Rhonwen looked over to the pillar where the other brothers were and called out to them.

"Is Akram alive?" she shouted, lifting one of Ahmed's arms as her brother lifted the other, then dragging him towards the other boys.

"He's not breathing!" she heard a panicked voice yell, and Ala' stumbled out, carrying his younger brother's limp form in his arms.

"Bring him here!" she yelled, putting Ahmed down gently, her brother following her example.

Ala' brought Akram quickly as she unwound her hair, laying him gently beside Ahmed. She could see the tears in his eyes and her heart went out to him at seeing his two brothers in such a state, but she continued on, focused on the task at hand. She saw her brother gently pull the knife out of Ahmed's wound and set it on the floor beside them. She shot a thankful glance to him and kept working at the knot. When she'd untied her hair rope from around her body, she wrapped it around Ahmed's right hand and Akram's left and began to sing.

Her hair began to glow and she could immediately see a change in Akram. The char marks on his upper chest and face from the lightning faded, leaving only the blackened shirt and it's burned hole as evidence that he'd been struck. His chest heaved about halfway through the song, a long, deep breath drawn in. But there was something wrong.

She didn't see any change in Ahmed. Even as his brother revived and breathed in again as his wound healed seamlessly, Ahmed lay still and pale, his eyes staring unseeingly at the ceiling above him. She watched in horror as she reached the end of her song and nothing happened to Ahmed. her voice shook on the last word and Rufus reached a hand down to take a pulse, looking at her worriedly. The light of her hair extinguished and Akram sat up, saying something confused sounding in Arabic to Ala'. But Ahmed lay still.

Rufus looked at her questioningly, and she glanced at Akram, trying to understand what had just happened. Her hair could heal anyone who'd been killed by anything, especially someone who'd been killed so short a time previous. It could "change the fates' design." Her mother's tears had been a bit more selective, the few times they'd used them, but her hair had never failed on an injury like this. What just happened?

She heard a pained sound that snapped her violently from her reverie. Akram's face was turned towards Ahmed and he'd let out a small cry of shock. Ala' just stared and Afeef had come out from behind the pillar to look, equally alarmed. Akram looked at her, frantic, and his mouth moved quickly.

"Mezzeh hadesseh?" he said, his voice cracking, and then he corrected himself and repeated in English, "What happened?"

Rhonwen just stared at him for a moment, her eyes tearing, and she heard Rufus answer the question for her.

"Aega stabbed him," he said solemnly, his eyes not leaving Rhonwen as he spoke.

"But…" Akram started, and his face took a frustrated look as it became apparent that English and his grief were straining him, "Lee meszeh lumma…Why didn't you…?"

"She tried," Rufus answered again, this time dropping his head, "It didn't work."

Akram was completely still for a moment. Ala' turned pale. Afeef fell to his knees. Then Akram wailed and pushed her aside, taking Ahmed's body by the shoulders and shaking him, all the while screaming in Arabic.

"DESPRI KOZZA!" he yelled, tears running down his face, "KIMONT MUULK! LEUM KOONAKEE UMEWEHTU!"

Augustine and Edward had emerged, and they were staring at the scene with mourning written on their faces, a look too old for such young men. After a few moments he stopped shaking Ahmed and pulled his limp form close, pressing his face against him.

"Dacheed," he cried softly.

"Dacheed," repeated his brothers in unison, both sounding just as lost as he had.

Rhonwen watched while this was happening. She didn't have to know what they were saying. She knew what it meant anyway. But she still couldn't understand. Why hadn't it worked? Why was he still dead? The cold part of her took over, as the other part was in too much pain to carry on. She hadn't failed. Something had stopped her from succeeding.

She looked around her blankly, looking for any clue but mostly just trying not to stare as the brothers drew closer and closed Ahmed's eyes as Akram laid him back down. Her eyes caught a silver glint and she glance towards it, seeing the silver knife on the ground. She stared at it in shock for a moment, and then pulled the golden match from the tie on her waist. Why had Aega given her this knife, why did she have to have the mate for the silver one? Why not another knife with a stronger magical power, something that would turn the tide of the battle to come?

She knew then what she had to do. Standing, she picked up the silver knife and held the golden one in her hand tightly. Her brother said something that sounded like a question, but she just walked around him and the brothers, resolutely marching towards the door. She walked past Augustine and Edward, who also seemed to ask her something, but she heard them even less than Rufus.

She stepped out into the hallway and followed to scorch and claw marks on the floor and walls. They led towards the balcony, where she and her parents always released the first lantern for the festival. As she drew closer to the room behind the balcony, she could hear two kinds of roaring. One was the familiar tones of Emile's rage, the other sounded larger and more spread out. She could see smoke under the door, so she tested the temperature of the knob, tapping it lightly with her fingertips. It wasn't hot, barely even warm, so she pulled it open resolutely. Inside was a chaotic scene from a nightmare. She stood and watched it for a moment, unable to do anything else.

Aega was throwing fire from her hands now, laughing callously as she did. Emile was hardly even recognizable. His fur was charred and in some place completely burned away. But he was bristling and wild, roaring and lunging towards Aega whenever she misplaced a step. Aega almost seemed to be taking pleasure in baiting him, like a toreador teasing a bull. Flames would sprout around her where she stood and she would throw them at him. He would dodge the flames and tear towards her claws first. But she would dodge to the side at the last minute and he would stumble a few steps, frustrated and trying to regain his footing. Then the process would repeat itself.

Rhonwen stepped forward, locking all the difficult emotions of fear and grief under a blanket of cold determination. The two didn't even notice her as she walked the long way around their fight, coming to the door that led out to the balcony without being touched. She looked back to the fighting pair and found them much unchanged, but caught more movement out of the corner of her eye. In the doorway she'd just entered through were her brother, Augustine, and Edward. Rufus was gesturing frantically to her to come back, while it looked like Augustine and Edward were muttering to each other, trying to form some kind of plan to join the fight.

She smiled a little at Rufus and shook her head, then turned back to the door and opened it without hesitation. The air and light that came through the door drew the quarreling pair's attention, as well as that of the others at the door, and she walked through the doors and to the edge of the balcony as swiftly as she could. She heard the roar of a flame and a pained roar from Emile in return, and then the painful voice of Aega was behind her.

"_And what are we up to now?_" she rasped, her tone almost friendly despite the fact that she still tried to scream.

"You know as well as I do," Rhonwen replied, looking the maniac in the eye, "I've just seen what these blades do, why Circe gave me this one. They kill permanently don't they? No magic can bring their victim back?"

"None but the undiluted tear of a pure Sun Child," Aega answered, smiling slightly and speaking in a quieter, calmer tone, "So you've come to do it then_?_"

"I've come to do what needs to be done," Rhonwen answered.

Aega smiled and opened her arms, baring her chest. Rhonwen hesitated for a minute then did what she came to do.

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><p><strong>And there's this chapter. Let me give you a quick translation for Akram's Arabic phrases.<strong>

**"Mezzeh hadesseh?" **"What happened?"

**"Lee meszeh lumma…" **"Why didn't you..."

**"DESPRI KOZZA!" **"WAKE UP!"

**"KIMONT MUULK! LEUM KOONAKEE UMEWEHTU!" **"YOU'RE THE KING! YOU CAN'T DIE!"

**"Dacheed" **"My brother"

**I did my best to capture the sound of the language, but I couldn't write the words in Arabic lettering on my computer. And even if I could, none of the people who read this story and don't read Arabic would have been able to picture what he's saying, since the letters are completely different and the sounds they make mean different things. So apologies, if any actual Arabic speakers come across this. It's probably grossly inadequate. **

**Oh, and Aega's Greek word means "idiot". I almost forgot that one. **


	39. Chapter 39

**Here we are. This is the second to last chapter, and I just have to say that this was the most rewarding thing I've ever written. After going on this whole journey with each of these characters and coming to love each and every one of them, I can't express what joy and what sorrow it brings me to finally reach this point. **

**The next chapter is the icing on the cake, letting me sum up everything that still needs attention and letting this be what it needs to be. I can't believe I made it here, and it's all because of you guys! You rock, I roll, we rock and roll together!**

**Now that I've gotten my cheesy ranting about my absolute glee in publishing this out of the way, please read! **

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><p>Rhonwen hesitated. Should she do this? She knew it was the only road to take, but what about the consequences? She looked at the knives, holding them before her. They were beautiful in a deadly sort of way, like a cobra. They glittered when the light touched them. But the silver knife was stained with the blood of her friend, and the other with the evil of its origin. And more than their glimmer became apparent when she held them up together. She hadn't bothered to read the tiny engravings on the golden knife's blade before, but now that the blood outlined those on the silver they were difficult to ignore. The gold read, "Fate not be changed," and the silver, "Cut was the golden thread." Just looking at these inscriptions, which backed Aega's story, Rhonwen ended her hesitation and looked back to Aega to do what she had to do.<p>

"These knives," she said, stepping back until her knees touched the low banister, "Who gave them the power to do this? What gives them the right?"

Aega rolled her eyes, like she was tired. Then she spoke, her voice only rasping slightly at a quieter tone.

"They were created by the Fates, to defy my grandfather's claim that his magic was the most powerful," she said, "They end any life, even that with his blood. Fitting, aren't they? Circe was ever one for the poetic touch. Now, stop blathering and do it already."

Rhonwen straitened. And then she did what she came to do. She switched the golden knife into her left hand and tossed both over the side of the tower, sending them ten stories down to the landing below. Then she met Aega's eye defiantly.

"My brother was right," she said, to the shocked anger on Aega's face, "We are not your tools or your mother's. I was the one that was given permission to kill you, none of the others. That's why you didn't die when Emile hit you; anyone else, even Circe, would have. I'm the only one that can do it, and _I will not!_"

Rhonwen kept a brave face even as Aega's flames began to swirl around her. She was lying through her teeth; it was only sheer dumb luck, or rather poor fortune, that Aega was still alive after a blow like that. However, Aega didn't know that. And if Aega took her on, one on one, then she could make sure that nothing like Ahmed ever happened again, especially now that the knives were out of the picture. If Aega came at her, which she would in her rage, Rhonwen was in the perfect position. She'd made sure that before she dropped the knives she was standing at the very edge of the ledge. She'd stay along that edge, even if Aega threw fire at her. After all, the most damage you can cause with thrown fire is a minor burn, since it has no fuel and burns out in half seconds. She would provoke Aega as long as it took. And Aega would tackle her. She would gladly fall with her; gladly give up her own life if it meant that the lives of her friends and her kingdom were safe. Nobody else would ever have to take that burden.

Aega screeched and brought up her hand to throw fire. Rhonwen braced herself back against the short rail, silently praying for the strength to do what she'd intended to do. She closed her eyes reflexively, bracing for the impact. Then she heard a tremendous roar and crashing sound and they shot back open. Emile tore across the balcony savagely, his claws clicking across the tiles. Aega turned to him and reformed the lightning cloud, tossing a bolt at him. But he swerved to the left when he saw her hand move and flew forward, tackling her from the side. The world moved slowly for the moments after that, as Rhonwen watched them fly by over her head, Aega screeching in fury and Emile's roar ringing in her ears. She screamed but she could barely hear herself as they flew over, and when she lost sight of them she sat in stunned shock. Then she slowly stood, turning and looking over the wall where Emile had thrown them both.

There on the ground were all her worst nightmares come real.

"EMILE!"

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><p>Emile saw Rhonwen at the same moment Aega did, when she opened the door. Aega turned and began to move toward Rhonwen, so Emile jumped towards her. A large burst of flame roared up from Aega and threw him into the air, knocking his head on the ceiling before he dropped back to the ground. And lay still, dazed. He felt someone come up to him and touch his arm, so he turned to see Augustine leaning over him, his face worried. He stared for the few moments it took for his eyes to come back into focus, then sat up swiftly and shifted onto four feet, turning towards the door where Aega had gone.<p>

Rufus and Edward were already there, pushing as hard as they could to open the sealed door. Rufus looked frantic and Edward worried. Then Emile knew what had happened. Aega'd walked out the door and sealed it magically. Rhonwen was out there with her, alone. He backed up until he was at the end of a strait passage, and then called out to the others.

""GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

Edward looked back and swiftly obeyed, as did Rufus slightly later when he heard Emile start to run. Emile flew towards the door at top speed, aiming his shoulder for the blow and roaring as he hit with shattering results. He didn't hesitate to run towards Aega, who looked like she had Rhonwen pinned and was about to shoot fire at her. Rhonwen's eyes shot open and looked at him as he roared his way up to them both.

He saw Aega spinning her hand and bolted to the left, just in time to avoid the lightning she threw. Then he tackled Aega from the left and pushed forward with his back legs, grappling her waist with his arms. He took them over the banister to the balcony. Two thoughts passed through his head during the short but long-enough fall. The first: that he was most certainly going to die. The second: that his friends were most certainly going to live. With that thought in mind, he closed his eyes and felt the impact.

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><p>Rhonwen stared over the ledge in horror. Emile lay beside Aega, both of them looking broken and tattered from their fight. Then Rhonwen turned and ran towards the door, pushing past her brother and Edward as they came running out. She ran down the staircase as fast as she could, gathering her hair rope as she ran to speed her descent. She heard yelling behind her but didn't take the time to turn back.<p>

Rhonwen threw open the door to the ninth floor, then the forth, then the second. She reached the first floor at last and all but threw herself through the door, hitting it with the right side of her body to open it and bursting out into the almost empty plaza with tears already streaking her face. At the center of the plaza were Emile and Aega lying where they'd fallen. But they weren't completely still. Aega was laughing quietly, coughing between laughs with an awful gurgling sound in back of her throat. Emile's hand was moving and his ears flicked back when she ran out.

She ran between them, falling on her knees before Emile and winding her hair around his wrist. Another laugh gurgled from Aega and she looked over at the woman lying broken beside her. Aega's eyes glittered, but her body was quickly weakening, blood dripping from the side of her mouth as she gasped, her rips visibly broken and her right lung probably collapsed. She turned back to Emile and saw his eyes looking back up at her trustingly. He knew her. She didn't know why, but she took the unwrapped part of her hair and wrapped it around Aega's mangled right wrist. Then she turned back to Emile, took his face in her hands and breathed to begin her song.

Before even the first note, she saw a glitter. And before she could do more than turn her head, the glitter came down beside Aega's wrist, slipping under the roped hair that led to the bit wrapping her wrist. Just as Rhonwen identified the silver knife, Aega's hand pulled upwards with as much force as her broken body could muster and the unnatural blade sliced through her hair like a hot knife through butter. Rhonwen watched in horror as her hair began to change at the spot Aega cut it, turning a light brown like her father's. She felt some of her vitality drain, as if a part of her had just been amputated. Then she looked back to Aega, horrified.

Aega lay with her right side facing Rhonwen, her left hand fallen back down and dropping the knife beside her face. Her mangled jaw still managed a slight smile and her eyes glittered spitefully as she gasped for air. Then, as Rhonwen watched, Aega breathed her last breath. She was perfect for a moment, as perfect as she was before she died anyway. Then her body began to age and decay, and in no more than a minute she was nothing but a pile of dust in a tattered, bloody dress beside a bloody, cursed knife and a wristlet of braided brown hair. Rhonwen stared in shock, feeling more powerless than she'd ever felt before. Then, as if grasping what had just happened, she turned and grabbed the brown hair leading down from her head, staring in abject horror.

"No," she said, looking down at Emile, "No, _no, no, NO!_ Emile!"

She dove forward, taking his face in her hands gingerly. His blue eyes looked up at her wearily, and his hand moved again as if he were trying to reach for her. She took it with her right hand, her left never leaving his face.

"You're going to be ok," she said, looking him in the eye and trying to convince both of them, "The others are coming and we'll get you to a healer, you just have to stay with me."

"Liar," he gasped softly.

"_Don't you dare go," _she whispered intensely, pushing her face closer to his, _"You hear me? I will find a way and you will be alright, but don't you dare go."_

Emile's breathing stuttered and Rhonwen's mind took off, thinking for every possible way she could remember to stop what was happening in front of her. Suddenly, her eyes widened and she got an idea. She pulled away from him swiftly and reached for her chainmail sash, where she had the potion Circe had given her that could heal injuries. After all the horrible things she'd thought about Circe, she never thought she would praise her name, but the words were about to come to her lips. Her fingers caught the top of the bottle near her right hip and brought it out, but as soon as they did, she knew it was far too light.

When they emerged, there was nothing but the top of a broken bottle in her hand. She reached frantically into the sash, but the rest was not there. It had been broken some time during the fight, and it was impossible to tell where, as she'd hit her fair share of hard objects during the struggle. There was nothing left, the hope drained with a devastating speed and she dropped her head onto Emile's neck, just below his face, crying desperately into his burnt fur.

"You can't go," she cried, her voice muffled, "I never got to tell you. You can't die because I love you and I won't allow it. You hear? You can't go!"

She felt rather than heard a gasping breath from Emile, then pulled her face out of his fur to lean on his massive frame, crouching beside him and looking into his eyes as well as she could through the tears in her own. He looked at her with surprise and gasped another breath, speaking again with great effort.

"And I love you," he said simply, his breath releasing after he did so.

They stared into each other's eyes for a moment more while he gasped in another breath. Then the breath released, his body went limp, and the irises of his eyes released their muscular control. He was dead.

Rhonwen just stared into those eyes for one moment more. They were still the richest blue she'd ever seen in a human eye, still not quite royal blue but not the more common color of the sky. They were still in the body of the man she'd fallen in love with, the man who she now knew loved her back. But he was no longer in them, and there was nothing on earth that could make her forget that sight. Emile was dead. Emile was dead.

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><p>Belle watched the castle after they got to the garden, which Eugene and Rapunzel agreed was the closest place that could be called outside the castle. For a while everything was very still. Her heart was beating swiftly, nonetheless, because she knew that something was coming. The children were in there, and it had been confirmed by the Sun Hound that so was the witch. Sometime, the fight would begin. She hoped that she would never see it, but she knew she would. So she watched and she waited and she prayed.<p>

When it finally did start she jolted and felt her husband's hand wrap around her shoulders. There was a great many cracking sounds, like thunder, and she heard a roar. Her hand flew to her heart and she watched more intensely, seeing lights from the windows of a hall on the tenth floor, which she remembered as the throne room from their last conference in Ringdorn. She leaned back against Vincent, silently sharing their strength as they watched for any sign of what was going on. She heard a terrible scream and another roar, and could feel that something terrible had happened. But the greenish light moved to a place where there were no window and sounds stopped from that place.

She heard words, barely audible, being screamed by a young man. She couldn't make them out, but someone suddenly had to hold Aladdin back from running into the castle. Her heart throbbed for him, recognizing the look of loss on his face as he fell to his knees and sobbed quietly. Someone was hurt or dead, one of his boys, and he'd been able to understand the words. But she looked back towards the castle for any signs of what was happening now.

Movement caught her eye to the left of the place where the lights had been, and she looked towards it. It was green and moved like a fire, but there was no smoke and it didn't spread. Belle realized that this must be the witch and pointed, speaking to the other parents.

"Look, over there!" she said

She moved to the left to get as close as she could and strained her eyes to try to make out any detail. She saw something moving beneath the light, against the low rail of the platform they were on, and recognized with horror that this had to be one of the children. Something glittering fell from the balcony and the flame erupted into a rage, with someone rising up in it. Belle could see the form of a woman, but no other details were clear, other than the fact that the child, whoever it was, cringed down. Then the moment she'd hoped never to see.

She saw a large, brown blur burst through what must have been a door to the right of the light and race towards it. Her heart caught in to throat as a dark spot formed above the fire and lightning flew from it, making the same crack as the lights had before. But the brown blur kept moving, and the color drained from Belle's face as she watched in make contact with the green light, taking both the light and itself over the ledge.

"EMILE!" she screamed, pulling forward and reaching out her arms as the spot fell.

Emile and the witch fell out of sight, and Belle's heart fell from her throat to her stomach. She felt like she was going to be ill. But she watched, watched as the little figure of the child her son had saved leaned over the rail then ran back to the place he'd burst from. Ten minutes passed by without anything, no movement or change, and she'd begun to sob and relied on Vincent to hold her up, not daring to take her eyes away from the place where her son had just fallen.

Behind her she head a sound and several of the parents turned toward it, but it wasn't until she heard a voice that she did the same.

"It is finished," the deep voice of Daemon said.

She turned to see the creature hanging his head, a terrible sadness on his face. Her eyes filled more and her knees buckled, but she felt Vincent hold her as she cried.

"You may go wherever you see fit now, Blue Genie," Daemon continued wearily, "I no longer have any obligation to this place. My pups and I will return now to our first master."

The creature turned to leave, but Genie called out to him.

"Hey!" the Genie said, sounding angry, "I know you were watching the whole thing. Which children are dead?"

The hound's head dropped, his ears flicked back, and he turned to look back over his shoulder at the parents with tired eyes.

"There are three children dead," he replied, "The first was the son of your friend, the one called Ahmed. He died attacking my perished master in vengeance for her striking his brother. The other is the cursed one, son of the one who confronted me, who carried the name Emile. He died with my master, taking her with him off the balcony. The third bore the name of Aega, daughter of no man and object of her mother but cherished by myself, and I have told you of her demise. My condolences. Your suffering is mine."

Daemon then turned again and sat down, raising his head to howl at the sky. A chorus of howls joined him and he lifted from the ground further, as if he was walking on stairs. All around the castle the other hounds did the same, rising in a circular formation until they were beyond the clouds.

When they were gone Belle pulled herself up and started for the door, only stumbling once in her focus. She heard Vincent say her name, then his footsteps followed her as she opened the door and walked through it, moving in the direction that of that balcony.

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><p>Rhonwen sobbed into Emile's fur, feeling like every reason for them being here had died with him. They came to save him from his curse, not to let him die still bearing it. Her fingers were gripped tight to the strands and she was beyond noticing anything around her. She cried for several moments, her soul torn to bits, not seeing as a light fell to the ground just above her head as she wept onto his chest. More lights fell around her, and still she did not see. It wasn't until Emile moved that she knew something outside of her grief was happening.<p>

Emile pulled upwards and she pulled her face away from him, questioning but hopeful. He continued to rise and she scooted away, now staring in awe at what was happening around her. She tried to look everywhere at once, from Emile to the lights to the ground around them and back again. Emile looked like he was being lifted, like an invisible hand had pulled him into the air and was suspending him there, while lights like fireworks rained down around them. She saw a movement from the door she'd used to come onto the plaza and her eyes went there to find Emile's mother, her hands over her mouth and her eyes wide, her husband staring open mouthed behind her. She knew she should be wondering how they got there, but she couldn't think about anything but Emile and her eyes went back to him.

His body squirmed slightly now, like someone asleep trying to move into a more comfortable position. He moved his arms and suddenly the fur receded from them, the claws on his hand disappearing and his bones changing to a human hand before her eyes. His feet then did the same as his back arched and his head flew back. Then his arms fell back down to his sides and his head rocked forward, giving her a perfect view of his fangs and horns and animal ears. A light shone all around him and suddenly his head went back again and it was a human head, a human face!

He floated there for a minute, suspended by that force, before he slowly began to sink to the ground, like the hand was setting him down gently. He rested on the ground and Rhonwen almost took a step toward him, but then he moved.

Rhonwen pulled back, caught by surprise as the man she now saw before her pushed himself up and sat on his knees for a moment, before getting unsteadily to his feet. Luckily, he had the sense to grab his pants, which were far too large for him but his only remaining clothing. He looked down at them and the rest of himself, taking it in, and then turned, slowly, as if it took thought to make sure his feet went to the right place. His hair was long and dark brown, hanging loosely around his shoulders. His face was well set, with a lean jaw, a strait nose, and a strong brow like Vincent's. He looked up at her and she met his eyes, which were the same dark Cerulean blue that they had always been, completely unchanged. They stared at each other for a moment, blank faced and completely silent. Then he raised his arms meekly, got that worried look on his face that he'd had the first time she'd met him, and spoke in a tenor voice.

"Don't," he said, his brows creasing, "Freak out."

Rhonwen was frozen again, her eyes wide and her mouth slightly open. He took one unsteady step towards her and her body was freed from its suspended animation. Her arms flew out in front of her and she ran, her brown rope of hair dragging behind her as she did.

"EMILE!" she screamed, throwing herself at him in her excitement.

His eyes widened and his hands went forward to catch her, but the mixture of her excited force and his unsteady stance on his new feet sent them both ungracefully to the ground. They bother laughed joyfully and Rhonwen grabbed him by the jaw with both hands, pulling his face forward and meeting his lips with her own. He seemed surprised for a minute, but then his hand went tentatively to her face and pressed gently, pulling her slightly more towards him with his other hand around her waist.

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><p>Emile kissed her, held her, reveling the fact that these were now things he could comfortably do. His body felt strange and unfamiliar, but she felt so right pressed against him now, so natural. He now knew exactly what it felt like to be human, and that wasn't a bad feeling by any means. They kissed uninterrupted for a few minutes, just grateful that the other was there and alive and so very much their own at last. Then he heard a soft sound and pulled away from Rhonwen gently, looking over to the sound at the same time she did.<p>

His eyes found his mother, on her knees and sobbing with the largest smile he'd ever seen on her face. His father was right behind her on one knee, holding her arms in a comforting gesture and staring at him with a look akin to the first look he'd gotten from most everyone else he'd met before now. And surrounding them were other parents, all staring and some openly crying or smiling. Rhonwen's parents were there too, standing together. Rapunzel's hands were pressed against her mouth and her eyes were full of happy tears. Eugene looked confused, awed, and a little disgruntled when Emile met his eyes, and suddenly Emile realized that this man's daughter was currently sitting on him.

Emile cleared his throat awkwardly and struggled a little to get out from under Rhonwen, who caught on and turned bright red before doing the same. The two sat on their feet for a moment, looking at the ground, the each other, then anywhere but each other. Finally, Emile turned his head and looked back at his parents. Trying to do anything to defuse the situation, he spoke out, his new, higher voice still strange to him as he did so.

"Hi?"

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><p><strong>WHEEEEEEEEEEEEE! YES! WE'RE FINALLY HERE! HAHAHA! <strong>

**Oh, and do please leave me a comment. Thank you!**


	40. Chapter 40

**YEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSS! Hahaha! Here we are at last, the very last chapter! What a ride this has been, thanks for being so great and staying on it with me!**

**I'm overjoyed and just a little bit sad that this is finally coming to an end. This story was such a huge learning experience for me, I may have to come back later and rifle through it for typos or something, just so I can visit these characters again! I'm going to miss them, but I couldn't think of any better way for their story to end and they made me write exactly what they wanted for this last chapter. My daycare will just feel so empty now! I'll have to fill it with more characters. Another fanfic is soon to come!**

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><p>Rhonwen was in her room, packing her bags for a journey. She'd always preferred to do so herself instead of letting a servant do it, another habit she'd picked up from her father. This way she knew she had everything that she'd need rather than trust someone's word only to find they'd forgotten something later. She turned and walked across the room to get her hair brush from her vanity and stop in front of the mirror.<p>

Her hair had been cut again, but this time by her command. Aega had only cut off about six inches, and now that there wasn't anything to be lost by cutting it she'd rather not carry the weight. It only reached her upper legs now, just below her hips, and she still couldn't get used to how short it was. She looked at herself for a few moments, playing with one strand of hair in her fingers, before turning back and putting the hair brush in her bag.

So much had changed so quickly that sometimes Rhonwen still felt like she was going to wake up and find it was all a dream and she was still out in the woods on the journey with Emile and the others. Not only her hair, but Emile and then her entire life around him changed as well. She smiled as she remembered that day, almost six months ago now, that Emile had been freed from his curse.

After Emile's clumsy greeting his mother had run forward and grasped him as tightly in her arms as she could, Rhonwen's own mother taking her example to heart. The other parents had been around the same way when the rest of the children had found their way out, some scolding, some laughing or crying for joy, most somewhere in between. Rhonwen had been so happy that she thought she had to be imagining it all, that Emile couldn't just come back after he'd died before her eyes and she hadn't been able to save him. But he didn't disappear, and the more she saw him the more she knew he wouldn't.

Her smile faltered as she remembered the next moments sadly. Ala' had run out a few moments after the others, yelling in Arabic to his father. Aladdin had run inside the castle and Rapunzel looked up and followed them swiftly. Eugene had come to Rhonwen's side then, and while there was a parental scolding still present in his eyes the only thing he said was that she'd done well. Rhonwen stood and followed after her mother, Emile standing clumsily behind her and following as well. The others grouped behind them and they caught up with Rapunzel and Aladdin just as the song was ending. Rhonwen had never seen her mother's face as sad as in that moment, and she knew without looking that it hadn't worked, that it had been too long or the tear simply wouldn't heal him. The tears had always been selective, only healing someone who was recently dead and sometimes not even them. Ahmed was gone.

The next journey had been a short one, as they traveled by Genie snapping his fingers. Everyone agreed that they should return with the children to Emile's castle so the other parents who couldn't come would be able to rest easy. Rhonwen held Emile's hand as Genie counted to make sure everyone was there, then he snapped his fingers and they were back where they'd started, getting another eager greeting from the parents there. Aladdin gathered all his boys together around Ahmed, and asked Genie to take them home, but Melody had called out to Akram and he'd separated from the group, running to her and hugging her tightly. She asked if she could attend the funeral and Akram said that they couldn't very well deny his fiancé attendance. Melody's mouth had fallen open, Aladdin blinked a couple times in surprise, and the Genie smiled in a melancholy way. Akram finished by falling to one knee and saying life was too short to be cautious. Melody's eyes filled and she'd said yes. Rhonwen couldn't help but think that it was one of the most romantic things she'd ever seen, even though it was also one of the saddest.

But Melody was not the only outsider to attend. As soon as she answered Akram, Edward stepped forward and asked that they delay their departure for one day so that he and his fiancé could make ready to attend. As soon as it was out of his mouth, Red had come forward, dragging Augustine by the arm as she did so, and repeated his sentiment. One by one, every royal family said that they would be present for the funeral, and that in one day's time they wished for the Genie to take them all with Aladdin and his sons back to Agrabah. That journey had been hard. Rhonwen remembered the procession, walking a respectful distance behind the royal family with Emile and the other children, as Akram had convinced his father to allow. These were all the brothers' best friends and they'd witnessed Ahmed's courage, he'd said. Melody was the only one not walking with the group, as she was walking beside Akram in a black dress. Akif, the second son and now the oldest prince, walked beside his father behind the casket carried by his brothers, with his mother and sisters trailing them. He looked scared and lost, an absent look on his face through the whole ceremony and Rhonwen's heart went out to him. After the funeral, Aladdin invited the families to stay for a short time so that the few problems that they'd not yet settled could be finished quickly. Rhonwen had the pleasure of meeting Jasmine, the Queen of Agrabah, and the princesses and three young princes who'd been left behind. She could only wish that it had been in better circumstances. Then the Genie had taken every family home, one by one. She'd hugged Emile goodbye and left right before his family did.

After that the world seemed to take on a reckless speed. Everything was happening at once. She'd gotten home and had her hair cut to where it was now, her mother, eyes tearing, behind her telling her how beautiful she looked. The week after they'd arrived at home, word came from Emile, which Rhonwen smiled at, knowing that he must have sent it as soon as he got home. It was a letter of proposal, written up in the fancy handwriting and embossed paper that all the other's she'd received shared, but this one had something different. Emile had signed this one at the bottom, signed it "With all my love," and Rhonwen smiled as she remembered how excited she'd gotten. She'd started writing the reply that day, telling her parents that she was going to say yes to this one. Her mother had screamed and run to hug her in joy, and her father looked somewhat disgruntled, but happy all the same. She'd sent the letter by courier and received a confirmation as quickly as could be humanly expected.

Rufus and Emilia were married that month, as Rufus seemed to have lost his patience with the last events and wanted it done already. All the children from the journey had come, and Rhonwen smiled when she thought of the joyful event and the reunion between her closest friends. She regularly received and sent letters to all of them, but seeing them again so soon had been an unexpected delight, and she'd realized just how much she'd missed them all when she saw Red's carriage arriving and run out over the lawn to meet it. Of course, seeing Emile again had been the best part. She'd run out to his carriage too. But unlike Red's which had come to a stop and then allowed the tall girl to jump out and catch her in a bone crushing hug, the door of Emile's carriage had flown open as soon as she was in sight of the window and he'd jumped out, rolling to regain his balance and running to meet her. They barely left each other's sides during the two week of celebrations, and she'd cried when he had to leave again. She watched his face in the back window of the carriage until he was out of sight and waved significantly after. She couldn't believe how lonely she'd felt watching him go again.

But she didn't have to wait long, and she was glad for that. As she was now to be the future Queen of France, she was invited by Belle and Vincent to come and live in the castle, so she could learn of the customs and how the kingdom was run. So she'd had to relent and let the servants pack for her then, safe in the knowledge that they were packing everything she owned so they wouldn't forget anything important. She and her parents traveled to France together, and she smiled looking back on how her mother had given her nonstop advice all the way over and her father had been uncharacteristically quiet, only throwing in quirky comments when they couldn't be left out. They'd arrived and this time it was her jumping out of the carriage, although she didn't have to courage to do it while it was moving so she'd screamed STOP at the top of her lungs first. The memory brought a giggle with it, and she smiled merrily and she checked her bag one last time.

This time, the journey was to Andalasia, for a very long overdue wedding. She was looking forward to in immensely, as she knew she'd see all the others there again after four months of only letters from them. And Edward and Dianna were going to be so happy together. She'd packed several dresses, asking Madame de la Grande Bouche politely that she be allowed to pick her own. Lucy, who'd been assigned to be her first lady's maid, much to the little girl's excitement, was the only person she'd let in and out of the room, as she'd had her run and get things that she needed. She was probably on her way back now, and Rhonwen knew she'd have the book with her that she'd sent her for. After all, she'd need to spend at least some of her time there studying, or else she'd never memorize the royal line of France. A small knock on the door confirmed Rhonwen's supposition, and she said come in absently. But the person who entered was not a blond headed little girl with a textbook in tow.

"Almost ready?" Emile said, and she looked up at him in surprise.

"I should be done pretty soon," she responded after a moment, looking back down at her bag ponderously, "I'm just trying to remember if there's anything I forgot."

"Well if you'd truly forgotten it," he responded, coming to her side, "You wouldn't remember it, would you?"

Rhonwen smiled and looked up at him, raising an eyebrow at his smart aleck smirk. He was so handsome now, sometimes she just stared at him when she saw him. He was wearing a loose shirt and brown pants at the moment, with his brown hair tied back in a tail. He smiled down at her and she smiled a little wider back at him.

"Shouldn't you be tending to your own things?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips and looking up at him challengingly.

"Cogsworth has solemnly informed me that I'm not qualified to pack my bags," he replied, his smile growing, "Not that I object. I can bother you for a while now, while they're occupied."

"Oh," she said, putting a pointer finger to his chest accusingly, "So you know you're bothering me and you continue to do so? How unchivalrous."

He laughed a little at that and put his hand to the side of her face, brushing her hair back behind her ear.

"I should probably make sure he's not packing me a powdered wig," he said after a moment, not moving his hand despite his words, "He's determined that they will come back into style, and if he gets it in the luggage it will be one more argument once we get there."

"Well, then," Rhonwen said, taking his hand in her own and putting it to his chest, "You're off to save your fashion sense."

He smiled and nodded, turning to leave and only letting go of her hand at the last moment. She smiled dreamily for a few minutes before Lucy returned and she focused on her packing again.

* * *

><p>Emile swore that he would never get used to large groups of people. And if anything could be said for Edward and Dianna's wedding, it was large. There were hundreds of people present; the cathedral was full to the point that some of the invited guests had to stand. Outside was a huge crowd of the kingdom's people, excited about the wedding of their darling prince, who was loved by all. There were also some travelers there from the Northern kingdom, but only the most devoted followers of royal events traveled to attend the young Princess Dianna's wedding, since it was not an affair of their own nation. Emile was uncomfortable in the extreme.<p>

Even though he wasn't the Beast anymore, he still felt out of place amongst other people. He still felt that he was stared at wherever he went, which was probably true given that he was a prince. And all the noises he couldn't identify and all the people he didn't know were enough to make the hairs on his neck stand on end. He knew he'd have to get used to it if he was going to be a king, so he put on a brave face and managed to come off as only slightly skittish. He stood as Edward's best man, an honor he'd accepted grudgingly since it placed him at the front of the church where everyone was looking. Augustine and Akram both stood with him as well, along with Rufus and several other men he'd been friends with before the journey. And Emile got a perfect view of Rhonwen from where he was, so it wasn't a total loss.

Rhonwen was one of Dianna's bridesmaids, and he couldn't help but stare at her as the ceremony went on. She was wearing a light pink dress that matched those of the other bridesmaids and Emile made a note to himself to compliment Dianna's taste. She looked radiant; the dress reaching the ground in a graceful cascade of fabric, with what he was told was a sweetheart neckline that flattered her shape perfectly. Her long brown hair was braided off her face but allowed to hang down in an elaborate pattern of pins and twists in the back. She wore the engagement ring he'd had made for her and a diamond necklace his mother had given her when she'd first arrived at the castle. Her eyes were full of tears, but her face was smiling and blushed, suggesting that these tears were anything but sad.

He realized that he must have been staring for some time when she looked back at him, those large green eyes meeting his and a playful smile coming to her face. She winked at him discreetly and he blushed. For once, he was unhappy that his fur was gone; he'd felt so much less visible when he'd blushed before, but now everyone could see his face turn red. He looked down and through his peripheral vision he could see Rhonwen do the same, so he glanced up at her again. She was looking at the ground in front of her with a very amused look on her face, and he looked back down as he felt the heat return to his face.

As the couple said their vows, Emile watched them and dreamed of when this day would come for himself. He smiled as Edward pulled Dianna in for a huge kiss when the priest permitted it and cheered with the others when it lasted for more than a few moments. And he laughed and rolled his eyes with the others when Edward sang that song again down the aisle, carrying his laughing, happy little Dianna with him like she was a china doll. He had no doubt that they would be happy together.

The music began and he reached out to take Rhonwen's arm, walking down the aisle in pairs with the rest of the bridesmaids and groomsmen. Rhonwen took his arm in both of hers happily, and pulled his down so she could whisper in his ear.

"This will be us soon," she said, smiling secretively.

"Nothing will make me happier," he whispered back.

They both smiled all the way back to their carriages, and then reluctantly separated so that they could travel with their families. Emile took the first step up into his carriage and looked back to see Rhonwen running and hugging her parents first and then Rufus and his new wife. He smiled and settled into the carriage, glad that she was so happy.

When they arrived at the reception, they were together again, but not entirely. Rhonwen ran to and from friends as she saw them, and he smiled as he watched her talking boisterously with Melody and Red. He heard someone clear his throat behind him and he turned to be face to face with Eugene.

"Oh, sir!" he said, dipping his head in greeting and trying not to be too nervous at talking to Rhonwen's father alone, face to face.

This was the first time, when he thought back on it, that Rhonwen hadn't been with him when they were around her parents. And especially around her father. He didn't fear the encounter, Eugene was a good man and Emile quite liked him. But he had been wondering what would happen when he finally did have this conversation.

"Rhonwen looks like she had a really good time today," Eugene said, smiling disarmingly and looking over at his daughter.

Emile followed his gaze and nodded. Eugene reached up to rest an elbow casually on Emile's shoulder like an old friend.

"She looks just like her mother did at that age," he said, smiling appreciatively.

"She'd truly amazing," Emile replied, glad this conversation was going so well.

"That she is," he said, his light tone unchanged, "And if you ever hurt her I'll kill you."

Emile's smile dropped but Eugene just kept talking on in that light, friendly tone that was completely at odds with his words.

"It would actually be a mercy if I did it myself," he said, smiling roguishly, "If Rapunzel got ahold of you they wouldn't be able to identify the body. And I'm not even going to mention my son."

Emile nodded nervously, not knowing what else to do. Was Eugene serious or just messing with his head? He couldn't tell with that look and tone of voice, the man could have been talking about the weather in France with the same tone! Eugene noticed how stiff he was and laughed, which set Emile more ill at ease. Was he laughing because he was joking, or because he'd accomplished his goal?

"Relax, kid," Eugene said, taking his elbow off Emile's shoulder and punching said shoulder in a comradely sort of way, "If I thought you'd hurt her, you'd already be dead. I'm just letting you know where I stand, that's all."

Emile nodded again, still tense. Eugene laughed again and sounded like he was going to start up again, but Rapunzel's voice cut in just in time to stop him.

"Eugene," she said, sounding disparaging, "Are you scaring our future son-in-law?"

"Who, me?" Eugene replied, putting on an innocent face, "I'd never!"

"Because I thought I told you," Rapunzel said, coming up beside Eugene to face Emile, "That's my job. Hello dear!"

"Hello," Emile replied quietly, sure that his face was red again.

The couple laughed and Rapunzel patted his arm and promised him that they were just kidding while Eugene mouthed _no, we are not_ behind her, and Emile smiled. He loved these people. They were so much like their daughter.

Speak of the devil, Rhonwen had just said goodbye and was running over to Emile again with a suspicious look directed at her parents. Emile smiled and put out his hand to her, which she took without a thought when she arrived a few steps later.

"Hi, Mom," she said, "Hi, Dad. What are you guys talking about?"

"We were talking about how glad we are that the wedding was in Andalasia," Emile supplied, smiling down at her, "Given the weather in the Northern kingdom this time of year."

"I see," she said, giving him a disbelieving look as her father smiled conspiratorially at him and her mother looked at the ceiling conspicuously, "Well, the next song if one of my favorites and I'd like to dance, if you don't mind."

Emile smiled and followed her to the dance floor. He danced happily with her, leading her around the floor of the ballroom. He noticed Red and Augustine dancing close by and couldn't help but watch for a few minutes as they got into an argument over who was supposed to lead. Then he looked back down at Rhonwen and smiled. The two danced until the song was over, Rhonwen's dress swirling gracefully as they turned, and left the dance floor together, walking out towards the refreshments. Melody and Akram were there already, kissing at the end of the table, and Emile smiled as Rhonwen took a dessert, inspired. Before she could bite the baked pastry she'd taken he tugged the braid in her hair gently, and then she looked over her shoulder at him he smiled. He took advantage of the fact that she wasn't paying attention to her pastry at the moment and snatched it from her hand, taking a bite of it himself. She raised an eyebrow at him as he held the rest of it out of her reach, then she grabbed him by the collar of his blue jacket and pulled him into a kiss. He wrapped his arms around her back and she reclaimed her pastry, but didn't seem to be in any rush to eat it as she continued to kiss him. Yes, he couldn't wait until their wedding day. And he had the feeling that neither could she.

* * *

><p><strong>And that's all folks! Thanks for reading, it was great writing, and I can't believe I'm actually finishing this story! Gaaaahhhh! <strong>


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